THE GRIEFS OF

THE LATECOMER …

Dr. Muḥammad Mūsa Ash-Sharīf

Translation
Abdulfattah Yunus
Edited
Peleowo AbdulHakeem
© 2022

Dr. Muḥammad Mūsa Ash-Sharīf

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
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Author.

Translation
Abdulfattah Yunus

Edited by
Peleowo AbdulHakeem

ISBN: 978-978-795-610-6

Published by:
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 Table of Contents
Translator’s Notes vii

Foreword xi

Introduction 1

Section One: The Proofs of Fulfilment of

Promise and Evil of Violating It 6

Firstly: Proofs from the Book of Allāh 6

Secondly: Proofs in the Sunnah of Allāh's

messenger 12

Section Two: The Statements of The Jurists

On The Ruling on Violating of Promise 16

Section Three: Stories and statements from

the Salaf on fulfilment of promises 21

Section Four: The Importance of Commitment

to Agreement and Avoiding Breaching it as Found
in The Books of Etiquettes 25

Section Five: Commitment to Appointments

and Avoidance Of Breaching them Among
The Contemporary People 29

iii
Section Six: The causes of breach of promise 43

One: Weak adherence to the rules of Sharī'ah 43

Two: Lack of awareness that an appointment that

is fixed based on the agreement of all is not
expected to be breached without a genuine excuse 44

Three: Indifference 44

Four: Indifference to passing away of

minutes and hour 45

Five: Disregarding the importance of the meeting 46

Six: Lack of consideration for priority 46

Seven: Not taking the proper means of

remembering appointment 56

Eight: Not being firm in dealing with the problem 56

Nine: The environment and the people 57

Ten: The psychological, physical and social

problem of the time violator 64

Section Seven: Consequences of breach of

promise and lack of commitment to appointments 66

One: The latecomer or one who does

not keep appointment is treated as unreliable 66
iv
Two: Lack of trust in his promise or appointment 67

Three: The serious ones are discouraged by the

attitude of the late comers or absentees 68

Four: Postponing the success of the work 68

Five: Lack of understanding of all or part of the

meeting proceedings 68

Section Eight: The Remedies 71

One: Effective training in Īmān 71

Two: Frankness and refraining from

evasiveness, courtesy and smooth talk 72

Three: Enactment of appropriate moral

punishment for this act 73

Four: Honouring those who are committed to

time in an appropriate moral and material way 78

Five: Commitment of the leaders to fixed

appointment 78

Six: Beginning on time and desisting from

waiting for latecomers 80

Seven: Specifying the exact time of

commencement 82

v
Eight: Adhering to the duration of the meeting. 84

Nine: Adopting the modern means of time

management 85

Ten: Offering an excuse before or after 85

Eleven: Commitment to self-preparation

for the appointment 86

There are however some manifestations that

should be avoided as regards this point 87

1. Attending a meeting with a confused and

absent mind 87

2. Attending a meeting while dozing off and

fighting sleep 87

3. Preoccupation in the meeting with other matters 88

4. Lack of preparation for the meeting 88

The Conclusion 90

References 92

vi
 Translator’s Notes
All praise is due to Allah and may his peace be upon
Muhammad, his households, his companions and all the
Muslims till the end of time.

Time is life, and any part of it that is not used productively

for growth, progress and success in spiritual or material
pursuits is a waste, and Islam warns us against wasting of
resources even if such is available in abundance and at
our beck and call, not to talk of the one that we all agreed
is not within our manipulative capacity such as time. It
then means that we need to manage our time to achieve
the goal of life.

But unfortunately, it is grossly rampant among us today,

Muslims especially, waste of time indiscriminately
through our bad attitude of not keeping to time or not
honouring agreement at its appropriate time. We fix an
appointment for a particular time, but we begin hours
after that; it is either we are waiting for those who are yet
to come or those who will not even come at all without
any prior information.

Today we fix time for an appointment, meeting or

occasion and we put as warning that ''no African time', the
meaning of African time is to fix a particular time for
commencement of meeting or occasion but the actual
time we will begin is hours after that fixed time.

vii
Without doubt, this a cankerworm that is slowing down
the progressive capacity of the African and Muslim
nations, and without Allah's special grace, to solve this
problem seems very difficult.

But to a discerning observer, it appears we know what we

are doing but we just choose to go on like that because
when we go to America, Europe or countries where time
and appointment are honoured, we naturally adapt, but
when we come back to our respective countries, we put
on our attitude again. I hope Allah will make us realize our
folly soonest.

Alli Mazrui, an African historian, lamented that: ''we

bought wrist watch from the European but we fail to keep
to time.'' It is like lateness is an African culture and we hold
on to this culture with our molar teeth.

We cannot continue like this. We can change and we must

change, for us to grow, progress and be successful.

In this book, the translation of the book 'Dhahirat

Tahwunil bilmawaeed…' which we title: the griefs of the
latecomer…, our shaykh, Dr. Muhammad Musa Sharif
takes us through the importance of honouring
agreement and appointment, keeping to time and
promise as explained in the Sharia; and the evil
consequence of not keeping to time or of breaching
promises. furthermore, he highlighted the causes, effects
and remedies to this evil menace.

viii
No doubt, the reader would find this book a guide and
useful, especially anyone who cares to rid himself of the
griefs (experienced by the perpetuator, receivers and the
society) of the consequences of this disease of lateness,
breaching of promise or appointment.

We pray Allah in his infinite mercy guide us to recognize

what is good and grant us the will to follow it, and may he
show us what is evil and grant us the will to move away
from it.

May Allah continue to show his mercy on the author for

his service to his ummah; and may Allah extend his
blessings upon the translator, the editor and those who
contribute to bringing out this book in English.

Assalam alaykum warahamtullah wabarakatuh,

The Translator.

ix
In the name of Allāh, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Allāh (The Most High) says:

“And mention Ismā'īl in the Book, surely he was

truthful in his promise, and he was an apostle, a
prophet”1

And He (upon him be Allāh's peace) said:

“There are three signs of a hypocrite: when he speaks, he

tells lies, and when he promises, he does not fulfil, and
2
when he is entrusted, he betrays.”

1
Sūrah Maryam; Chapter 19 verse 54.
2
'Āriḍah Al-Aḥwādhī 5/308, Saḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī 1/16 ḥadīth no. 33, Saḥīḥ Muslim 1/78 hadith no 59 & Ibn
Hajar, Fat-ḥ Al-Bārī Vol. 1 p. 89. - Editor

x
 Foreword
All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the worlds. May the
peace and blessings be upon our leader, Muhammad, the
3
one raised as mercy unto mankind and may the peace
and blessing be extended to all his companions.

Afterwards, I am raising a complaint in this treatise and

relieving myself of a concern. I desire to clarify an issue
that has long been disturbing the peace of my mind and
scattering the already done deal. Not only this, this issue
has not ceased wandering all over my mind that it leaves
in me knowledge of affairs and thoughts that ordinarily
would not have crossed my mind.

This important issue that I have so described is failure to

meet up with fixed appointments or agreed promises and
delay in fulfilling them in a way that got me infuriated and
led me to write what I have written and narrated. I have
not in any way exaggerated in what I have said. By Allāh,
the matter is much more worse than I have described it. In
fact, neglecting agreed promises or meeting or
appointment has become a feature found in many
notable personalities and righteous people, when
actually it is the feature of the idle and frivolous
personalities. Hence, why should I not write what I have
written and narrated the issue after all this?!

No doubt, I say whatever I say here with all sense of

knowledge and confidence:
3
This is confirmed by Allāh in Sūrah Al-Anbiyā' verse 107: “And We have not sent you but
as a mercy to the worlds.” - Editor

xi
This issue is of great importance such that if not given
timely and appropriate treatment, it will be a cause of
obstructing the realization of so many other issues and
affairs whose accomplishment would be impossible
without first treating the issue in a way that enables a
person to proceed to desires and plans satisfactorily.
Allāh knows best.

Muḥammad Mūsa Ash-Sharīf

Email: mmalshareef@yahoo.com
Website: www.altareekh.com

xii
 Introduction

T he great Islām came with a set of social manners

and etiquettes which made it unique just as in its
unique and distinguished way, it brought all its
principles and teachings of 'Aqīdah and rulings
- and the reason for this uniqueness and distinction is
because it is a design and revelation from Allāh, the All-
Knowing, the All-Wise, Who has the knowledge of what
benefits His servants. He possesses the wisdom to
legislate what leads them to the good of this life and
afterlife. Truth is the statement of Allāh when He says:

“Does He not know, Who created? And He is the

4
Knower of the subtleties, the Aware.”

These social manners and etiquettes emanated from the

book of Allāh (The Most High) and the Sunnah of His
messenger (upon him be Allāh's peace) which are a single
knit and interlace that might not be possible to take a part
5
thereof and reject the other part , rather all should be
taken in its entirety so that the society would grow and
progress in peace, glory and pride.

Among the social manners – which are of great impact in

the society – enhancing good governance, smooth
4
Sūrah Al-Mulk; Chapter 67 verse 14.
5
Allāh says: “Do you then believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is
the reward of such among you as do this but disgrace in the life of this world, and on the day of
resurrection they shall be sent back to the most grievous chastisement, and Allāh is not at all
heedless of what you do” Sūrah Al-Baqarah; Chapter 2 verse 85. - Editor

1
progress and harmony among the individuals of the
society is (etiquette of fulfilment of fixed
appointment and agreed promises) and avoiding
betrayal of promises and lack of fulfilment of fixed
appointment except with an unavoidable, genuine and
acceptable excuse, so that people would be confident
and put trust in one another and take them by their
words, promises, vow and principles.

I have seen people, in fact all people – except just a few of

them – who do not give this matter any due concern and
consideration. In fact, they go beyond every reasonable
bound and display disturbing shortcomings. Surprisingly,
upon all these excesses and shortcomings, they do not
see themselves as having engaged in any misdemeanour
and neither do they see themselves as being liable nor do
they see it as a shortcoming; they do not see themselves
as trainers. You would see them collaborating in taking
lateness to appointment in a very strange and
bemoaning manner as if the people have agreed and
pledged to come late.

When I see that the issue has become epidemic and

endemic, and the infection is fast spreading, I think I
should write a treatise about it which combines my
experience of a complete twenty years, or even more,
which I spent experiencing the bitter consequences of
this attitude and trying to deal with it. Many a time that I
have talked about this attitude and warned against its
consequences, I rebuked those taking this path until it
became their attitude and habit. But then:

2
I have sought listening ear as I meant to call the living,
But there seems to be no life in those being called.
A fire if you blow it, it would show light,
But you are blowing into the ashes.

I will combine these experiences from the stories I have

witnessed, either it happened to me or narrated to me or
culled from pages of books.
6
Many books , treatises and various articles, all focussing
on the use and benefits of time have been written, and
7
that time is life , highlighting and showing the
importance of time and reminding people of illuminating
examples of people in the old and present time who
benefitted from the judicious use of their time in a
glowing manner and hence left beautiful and delightful
impacts.

However, I am yet to see – in my research and survey – any

one who has written a book or an article specifically on
this issue: the issue of not fulfilling a fixed appointment or
lateness to it. But then I stumbled on plucks that did not
meet the purpose and satisfy the mind. So I resolved to
write a treatise combining my experience and the
occurrences that I have witnessed or heard. Then I
enhanced that with relevant texts from the Book of Allāh,
the Sunnah of the great messenger - Muhammad (upon
6
Books such as Al-Waqt fī ḥayātil Muslim (Time in the life of a Muslim) by Prof. Yūsuf Al-Qaraḍāwī, Qīmah
Az-Zaman 'indal 'Ulamā' (The value of time among according to Scholars) by Shaikh 'Abdul Fattāḥ Abū
Ghūdah, Sawāniḥ wata'amulāt fī qīmatiz Zaman by Ustādh Khalidūn Al-Aḥdab and Al-Waqt 'ammārun aw
dimāru by Ustādh Jāsim Al-Maṭū' and others.
7
Life is also time for it is an accumulation of days and nights.A complete day has 24 hours equivalent of 1,
440 minutes and these minutes translate to 86,400 seconds. - Editor

3
him be Allāh's peace), the sayings of the early Arabs and
scholars among them, and from the contemporary
scholars of Islām and others in a bid that I fulfil all
righteousness and be absolved from any negligence and
that I lay bare to people the danger and consequence of
this matter.
I am not in any way exonerating myself from any defect in
this matter or others; instead I see that I have made a
commitment to this matter that gives me the confidence
to dwell on its negativities and talk without
contradictions; and the statement of the poet would not
be about me in shā Allāh in this particular matter:

O man, the teacher of others!

Would you not like that you are taught.

Hence, I want the advice and counsel for my righteous

brothers particularly, those who fear Allāh in their deeds
and are concerned about the pleasure of Allāh (the Most
High) in what they do and avoid. They are the salt of the
land, the beauty of the society, the fruit of the people, and
the soul of mankind. They are the remnants of the
ancestors and the vanguards of the heirs, the pioneers of
the best examples and the custodian of the good deeds.
It is on them that the hope rests, all eyes are fixed, and on
their shoulders rest the return of the lost glory of the
Ummah. No doubt they have resolved and taken the
covenant on that.
To people like this, I direct my counsel. In them, my rebuke
will be rightly taken because I am deeply concerned and
desirous about them and lovingly feel and long for them.
They have in me a counsellor, defender and supporter. If
4
my expression seems to be harsh, it is not that I meant to
exaggerate the truth or blow things out of proportion,
but then know that I have not blown what I have seen
beyond proportion, and what I know I have not over
broadcast it, and what I have, I have not spent it
extravagantly. Allāh is the Guide and He is responsible for
giving us the grace to change our affairs for better, more
suitable and nearer perfection as He (Glorified and
Exalted be He) wishes.

5
 Section One

The Proofs of Fulfilment of

Promise and Evil of Violating It

Firstly: Proofs From The Book of Allah

Allāh (Exalted and Glorified be He) instructs His believing
servants to observe some obligatory acts of worship such
as Ṣalāh, Ṣawm, Zakāh and others, and He fixes definite,
appointed, clear and specific times for these acts of
worships. This, He explains through His greatest prophet
Muḥammad (upon him be peace) and He enjoins His
servants to keep and guard these times and avoid being
negligent regarding them. For instance, He fixes Ṣalāh on
that (principle) when He (Exalted be He) said:

“Surely Prayer is a timed ordinance for the believers.”8

If a man performs Ṣalāh “a second” before the

appropriate time by just saying the first 'Allāh Akbar'
before the time, such Ṣalāh is not acceptable from him. In
like manner, if he breaks his fast before the sunset
knowingly just by a moment, his fast is deemed invalid,
and if he eats or drinks after the appearance of the dawn
8
Sūrah An-Nisā', Chapter 4 verse103.

6
even by just a moment knowingly, his fast is deemed void.
Thus, a religion that establishes its acts of worship and
Sharī'ah on specific times is a great religion. By
implication, it trains its adherents on being accurate and
organized, and on being time conscious and strict to
time. It is then normal that they would be the most
disciplined and strictest people who keep to their
promises and appointment on earth. However, since we
are far from our religion, it then appears among us
different kinds of unwholesome attitudes among which is
this disgusting attitude: the attitude of not keeping to
fixed appointments and of not fulfilling promises.

What can be better than the saying of Ustādh 'Abdul

9
Fattāh Abū Ghudah (May Allāh have mercy on him) when
he said: “Allāh (The Most High) guides us in His Glorious
Book through His greatest Prophet (upon him be Allāh's
peace) on the importance of time and timing in our life
and activities, and He warns us against trivialising the
issue of time and being negligent of timing. This is
instructive for us in being organized and discharging our
duties at the fixed and appropriate time. Allāh (Exalted be
He) says: “Surely Prayer is a timed ordinance for the
10
believers.”

The Ṣalāh is performed five times daily by the Muslim,

male and female. And if a Muslim performs it at its earliest
time as it is expected of him, this would instil in him the
9
He was Shaikh 'Abdul Fattāḥ bn Muḥammad bin Bashir bin Ḥasan Abū Ghūdah (May Allāh bless
him). He was born in the city of Aleppo in the north of Syria on 17th Rajab 1336 AH/1917 to a family
whose lineage goes back to the great companion Khālid bin Al-Walid. He was exceptionally known
in the field of Hadīth particularly. He travelled to Saudi Arabia to teach and stay there. He died in the
year 1420 AH at the age of 84 years old. Numerous beneficial books and footnotes had been
credited to him.
10
Sūrah An-Nisā', Chapter 4 verse103.

7
habit of accuracy in keeping to time and appointments
and to be time conscious in performing any duty at its
appropriate and fixed time. In a very short time, he who
keeps to that would imbibe the disposition of being
disciplined and organized in the use of time and keeping
appointment, and in fact in discharging all timely
responsibilities at their proper and appropriate time in
the best manner possible. This then becomes a natural
habit which he adopts in all his conducts and life affairs.

The flawless Sharī'ah has stipulated time for many of the

obligations apart from Ṣalāh. It stipulates time in the
11
rulings of Ḥajj, Zakāh, Sawm, Zakāh Al-Fiṭr , sacrificial
animal, traveling, tayyamum, wiping over socks,
breastfeeding, divorce, 'Iddah12, Raja'ah13 spending, debt,
14
mortgage, hospitality for guests, 'Aqīqah , mensuration,
post-child-birth bleeding, etc. All of this is not for
anything except the important meaning the Sharī'ah
attaches to time and encouragement to pay attention to
its use and benefit.

Some Muslims today are oblivious of this precise Islamic

guidance for them from the great Sharī'ah while they take
and learn the importance of time and linking all actions to
appropriate time from others beside them. It seems they
have never been raised or trained on such at the outset
when the principles of this beautiful Sharī'ah became
obligation - which Ṣalāh is at the top of it - on them15.
11
Also known as Ṣadaqatul Fitr. It is paid at the end of Ramaḍān as a way of erasing excesses committed
during Ramaḍān fast and equally enriching the poor during the festive period. - Editor
12
A waiting period of a woman after divorce. - Editor
13
Taking back one's wife after divorce. - Editor
14
It is referred to the Islamic tradition of sacrificing an animal on the occasion of a child's birth on the
seventh day or fourteen day or twenty first day or any day as convenient. - Editor
15
Qīmah Az-Zamān 'inda Al-'Ulamā' pp. 9 - 11

8
Allāh (Glorified and Exalted be He) praises a noble
prophet (upon him be Allāh's peace) for his honesty in
commitment and keeping to promise when He (Exalted
be He) says:

“And mention Ismā'īl in the Book, surely he was

truthful in his promise, and he was an apostle, a
prophet”16
17
Imām Al-Qurṭubī (may Allāh have mercy on him) says
while commenting on this glorious verse: “Honesty in
keeping to promise is part of the character of the prophets
and messengers, but its opposite i.e. not being honest in
one's promises is blameworthy and that is one of the
features of evil doers and hypocrites. Allāh (The Most High)
has indeed showered praises on His prophet Ismā'īl and
described him with honesty in keeping to promise.” It was
differently said that “he made the promise himself to be
patient for being slaughtered and endured it till the
ransom was brought - and it was said: “He promised a man
to meet him at a place and Ismā'īl came and waited for the
man for the whole day and night. When it was the second
day, the man came and he (may the blessing of Allāh be
upon) said to him: I have been here waiting for you since
yesterday. It was said “that he even waited for him for three
days.” It was said “that Ismā'īl would never promise
anything that he would not fulfil.” This is a true statement
and that is what the verse might be saying. Allāh knows
18
best.”
16
Sūrah Maryam; Chapter 19 verse 54.
17
Shaikh Imām Muḥammad bin Aḥmad bin Abī Bakr Al-Anṣārī Al-Khazrajī Al-Qurtubī. He was an
encyclopaedia of knowledge. And he had numerous books credited to him which point to his bookworm
and his great virtues. He died in 671AH in Egypt that lived. See Al-Wāfī bil Wafiyāt Vol. 2 pp. 122-123.
18
Al-Jāmi' liaḥkāmil Qur'ān Vol.11 p.115.

9
 19
Al-Ḥāfiz Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) quoted
Al-Bukhārī in his authentic collection under: “Chapter on
20
fulfilling of promise” . Al-Ḥāfidh Sakhāwī (may Allāh have
mercy on him) said again: among the proofs of keeping to
21
promise as reported by Al-Bukhārī from Sa'īd bin Jubayr
that he asked Ibn Abbās (may Allāh be pleased with him):
“Which of the time is being referred to in this statement of
Allāh:

“I desire to marry one of these two daughters of mine

to you on condition that you should serve me for eight
years; but if you complete ten, it will be of your own
22
free will”
as narrated in the story of Mūsa (may Allāh's peace on
him)?

He said: he (Mūsa) spent the greater and better of the two

which is ten years. Definitely the messenger of Allāh
23
would do whatever he says . In another saying, the
Prophet (may Allāh's peace on him) would never fail to
fulfil his promise. Then Al-Ḥāfiz Sakhāwī (may Allāh have
mercy on him) said: “What is meant by “the messenger of
Allāh or prophet of Allāh” is anyone known with such
character and no other personality is specifically intended
here. This is deduced from the fact that Mūsa (may Allāh's
19
An erudite Shaikh and Imām.
20
I-ltimās As-Sa'd pp. 70 - 71.
21
Sa'īd bin Jubair Al-Asadī, Al-Kūfī. He was a well trustworthy personality and jurist. He was killed by Al-
Ḥajjāj bin Yūsuf when he came 50 years old. See At-Taqrīb p. 234.
22
Sūrah Al-Qaṣaṣ, Chapter 28 verse 27.
23
Saḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī: Book on testimonies (Chapter on fulfilling promise).

10
peace on him) was not categorical in his statement that
he would spend ten years: “This shall be (an
agreement) between me and you; whichever of the
24
two terms I fulfil”

After his statement: “on condition that you should

serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it
25
will be of your own free will”

Even without being categorical, he still kept to the

fulfilment by spending ten years. What if he were
26
categorical?

There are some verses in the Book of Allāh (the Most

High) coming as counsel or instruction directly or
indication – their explanation will still come later by
Allāh's leave27 – on fulfilment or keeping of promise.

“O you who believe! Fulfil the obligations”28

“And fulfil the promise; surely (every) promise shall be

29
questioned about”

24
Sūrah Al-Qaṣaṣ, Chapter 28 verse 28.
25
Ibid
26
I-ltimās As-Sa'd pp. 71 - 72.
27
See the section two of this book on the sayings of the jurists on this issue.
28
Sūrah Al-Mā'idah, Chapter 5 verse 1.
29
Sūrah Al-Isrā'īl, Chapter 17 verse 34.

11
“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do
not? It is most hateful to Allāh that you should say
30
that which you do not do.”
Secondly: Proofs in the Sunnah of Allah Messenger
The prophet (upon him be peace) has indeed explained
the importance of commitment, to his companions (may
Allāh be pleased with them all), in a clear and practical
manner to time minute for minute and seconds for
seconds. He specified the times of the five daily Ṣalāh to
them; they would not go beyond the proper time even by
a moment.
In the same vein, he specified the time of fasting, when to
begin and break the fast, and they would not violate it by
a moment. He detested that they should delay the
breaking of fast, but instructed them to delay the Saḥūr.
In that, there lies a lesson of time consciousness. He also
informed them of the time of the standing at 'Arafah and
whoever leaves 'Arafah before the sunset by a moment,
he must sacrifice an animal according to some jurists;
whoever comes to 'Arafah in the morning of the day31 of
slaughtering animal even by a moment, his standing at
'Arafah is invalid and is liable to perform the Ḥajj again.
Thus, we see how the Sharī'ah regards a second - not to
talk of minutes and hours - as very important issue and it
links it generally with the pillars of Islām and its very
32
important acts of worship . To say the least, this is a time
31
The day following the day of Arafah, i.e., the tenth day of Dhul Ḥijjah. - The Editor
32
'Regarding wiping over the socks, a whole day consisting of 24 hours has been prescribed while
slaughtering of animal during festive period is only reckoned with after 'Īd Prayer is performed.
And Ṣadaqatul Fiṭr is valid before the 'Īd Prayer even for a moment.

12
when the Arabs were not bothered about judicious use of
time, but the Prophet (upon him be peace) trained them
on the use and importance of even a second in all that
they are to do and he took them on this relentlessly. All
this is for the validity of their acts of worship and also for
them to learn orderliness and promptness, such a
learning that the world has not acquired except in this
later time.
What a misery many Arabs are going through today! You
can see them complaining about anyone that strictly
observes time, who would not come late or earlier than
appointed time, that his attitude to time is too Westerner
or British. This points to self-degradation, lack of
awareness of the glorious history of Islām and also the
strict observance of its adherents in keeping to time since
the last fourteen centuries. But then we are negligent of
the knowledge of that as we neglected the knowledge of
many noble aspects of our religion and civilization.

Allāh has indeed trained his prophet (upon him be peace)

and moulded him under His watchful eyes since his
mother carried his pregnancy, or even since his being
deposited in the loins of pure lineage of marriages from
Ādam (may Allāh's peace be upon him), when his mother
is being delivered of him and his being protected and
prepared by Allāh for the greatest message, he was
known for amiable and sociable conducts that impacted
greatly on those that witnessed and heard of it. That was
even before he was raised as a messenger, so what do you
think of him after becoming the messenger for Allāh's
sake!

13
Part of his amiable, sociable and pure conducts before he
was raised as a prophet was his commitment to promise
and fulfilling it. 'Abdullāh bin Al-Ḥamsā’33 (May Allāh be
pleased with him) had said: I promised the prophet with a
sale before he became a prophet, and I asked him to wait
at a place and promised to bring it for him in that place,
but I forgot until after three days34 that I remembered. I
came to him and strangely I still found him at that place.
He said: O young man, you have made me go through
difficulty as I have been here since three days ago waiting
for you.”35&36

This act of the prophet (upon him be peace) is strong

indication of commitment to fulfilling promise and the
importance of that in the life of the sincere Muslim who is
true with his Islām and free from hypocrisy and betrayal of
promise.

The ḥadīth from him on this issue are numerous, among

which are: “The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he
speaks, he tells lies, and when he promises, he does not
fulfil, and when he is entrusted, he betrays.”37

Al-Ḥāfiz Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) said on

the statement of the prophet (upon him be peace): “when
he promises, he does not fulfil.” That it includes anyone
who promises with the intention of not fulfilling it or
33
'Abdullāh bin Abī Ḥamsā' Al-'Āmirī. He lived in Basra or Egypt. See At-Taqrīb 300.
34
Three nights
35
Abū Dāwūd related the hadīth in his Sunan under the book on etiquettes (Chapter on waiting period). This
hadith is weak but it's useful to be used in this aspect. Allāh knows best.
36
An-Nawawī said: There is a consensus that it's obligatory on anyone that promises anybody something to
do so as long as that thing is not forbidden. And regarding whether it's obligatory or preferred, scholars
differ. Detailed explanation will be provided in the subsequent chapter. See the commentary of Sunan Abū
Dāwūd, 'Awnu Al-Ma'abūd Vol. 13 p. 340.
37
Sahīh Al-Bukhārī: Book on testimonies (Chapter on the obligation of fulfilling promise).

14
reneges on his promise without any reason. But anyone
that has the intention of fulfilling and has a reason that
prevents him from fulfilling, such a person cannot (then)
be regarded as a hypocrite. Even if his action seems to
resemble the picture of hypocrisy, he is absolved from
acts and essence of hypocrisy. It is not proper to give
himself excuse without any necessity…”38

The indications from the ḥadīth explain the importance of

fulfilment and honesty of promise. In the famous ḥadīth
of Heraclius in which he said to Abū Sufyān: “I ask you
what he commanded you? You claimed he commanded
you to observe Ṣalāh, speak the truth, uphold self -
control, fulfilment of promise, and keeping trust. He said:
these are features of a prophet.”39

Fulfilment of promise and covenant is among the features

of the prophets, their followers and those who observe
their Sunnah.

38
I-ltimās As-Sa'd pp. 83 - 84.
39
Sahīh Al-Bukhārī: Book on testimonies (Chapter on the obligation of fulfilling promise).

15
 Section Two

The Statements of The Jurists

On The Ruling on
Violating of Promise

T he great scholars (may Allāh have mercy on them

all) differ on Sharī'ah ruling on fulfilling promise. Al-
Ḥāfiẓ Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) fully
and beautifully explains those statement thus: “Abū
Zakariyā An-Nawawī40 (the luminary of his time) said in
“Adhkār” that there is consensus of scholars that anyone
that promises another person something which is not a
forbidden thing, it is proper for him to fulfil such promise.
The question then is that is it obligatory on him or
desirable? There is difference of opinions among the
scholars. Shāfī'41 and Abū Ḥanīfah42 (may Allāh have mercy
on them both) and the majority are of the opinion that it is
desirable, and if he should abandon the promise without
fulfilling it, he is just going to lose the honour and falls

40
See Fawāt Al-Wafiyāt Vol. 4 pp. 264 – 268 and Al –'Ilām Vol. 8 pp. 149 - 150.
41
His full name is Imām Muḥammad bin Idrīs Ash-Shāfi'. He died in Cairo in the year 204H at the year
of 54 years old. He was counted among the reformers of the second century. See At-Taqrīb p. 467.
42
His full name is Abū Bakr 'Abdillāh bin Muḥammad Al- Mu'āqirī Al-Ishbīlī. He was an erudite Imām
and Ḥāfidh. He was born in 468 in Ishbīliyyah and grew there. He later travelled to Egypt, Ḥijāz and
Iraq. He had good human relation. Many books had been be credited to him. He died in 543 H and
was buried in Fās. See Ad-Dībāj Al-Madh-hab Vol. 2 pp. 252 - 256.

16
into a highly distasteful act which is strongly detestable to
be avoided; he has not sinned. In contrast, other group of
scholars are of the opinion that it is obligatory…”

Then Al-Ḥāfiẓ Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him)

said while relating from Aḥmad the opinion of being
obligatory. Then An-Nawawī and Ibn 'Arabī43 said the
Māliki pushed forward the third opinion that if he
attaches a condition to the promise like saying: get
married and you shall have such and such, or swear that
you will not insult me and you shall have such and such. It
is obligatory to fulfil the promise or something like that.
But if it is a common promise, it is not obligatory.

Imām Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) further

mentioned a very important case of An-Nawawī's
statement (may Allāh have mercy on him), when he said
that fulfilling a promise is non-compulsory, which really
baffled one of the great scholars44 despite the fact that
An-Nawawī quoted the following Qur'anic verses in his
book “Adhkār” with which he began the talk on this issue.

The verses are:

“And fulfil the covenant of Allāh when you have made
a covenant”45
46
“O you who believe! Fulfil the obligations”

43
His full name is Imām Muḥammad bin Idrīs Ash-Shāfi'. He died in Cairo in the year 204H at the year
of 54 years old. He was counted among the reformers of the second century. See At-Taqrīb p. 467.
44
He was the father of Shaikh Al-Islām Al- Ḥāfiz Ibn Ḥajar Al-'Asqalānī (may Allāh show him mercy)
45
Sūrah An-Nahl; Chapter 16 verse 91. The author mistakenly cited Sūrah An-Naml verse 91. - Editor
46
Sūrah Al-Mā'idah, Chapter 5 verse 1

17
“And fulfil the promise; surely (every) promise shall be
47
questioned about”
“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do
not? It is most hateful to Allāh that you should say
that which you do not do.”48

This great scholar then said: this last verse is definitely the
strongest of all. Then he cited prophetic sayings among
which is the one that enumerates the signs of the
hypocrite that when he talks, he tells lies, and the proofs
from the verses and prophetic sayings point to the fact
that fulfilling promise is strongly obligatory. Why do
some scholars hold the opinion that it is just detestable to
avoid it despite all these strong cautions which would not
come against any acts except those acts that are strongly
forbidden.

Imām Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) further said

that Imām Taqiyyuddīn Subkī49 quoted the statement of
the followers of Shāfī': “It is not obligatory to fulfil a
promise with a difficult condition because the connotation
of the verses and Sunnah implies it is obligatory and
breaching of promise is lie, and lying is one of the features
of the hypocrites.” Hence, Subkī in some statements
credited to him on this issue found as most correct the
opinion that says that fulfilling promise is obligatory.

47
Sūrah Al-Isrā'īl, Chapter 17 verse 34.
48
Sūrah As-Saf, Chapter 61 verses 1-2.
49
His full name is Aliyyu bn 'Abdil Kāfī bin 'Aliyy As-Subkī, Taqiyyuddīn Abul Hasan Ash-Shāfi'ī. He was born
in Subk in 683H. He learnt Islām under the tutelage of his father. He got to Cairo and learnt from her
scholars. He died in 756H. Numerous useful books had been credited to him. See Ad-Durur Al-Kāminah
Vol. 3 pp. 134 - 142.

18
Imām Subkī then mentioned an important issue on this
50
topic that one of the great scholars was baffled by the
statement that fulfilling promise is non-obligatory in his
proposition when he said:It is said that it is obligatory to
fulfil a promise in order to be free from lying, as lying is
forbidden, and to abandon forbidden acts is obligatory.
Al-Mawāridī51 said regarding testimonies to speak of
courteousness that breaching a promise is a lie for which
the testimony is rejected.

The answer to all this is what Al-Ghazālī said in “Al-Iḥyā'”

that breaching the promise is nothing but lie because
fulfilling the promise is not in his intention when he was
making the promise. But if he resolved to fulfil it and later
appears that he cannot, then he is not a liar because he
said what was in his mind then and if he follows that, it will
end up to be true.”52

It will be clear to anyone that has been following this case

from the foregoing arguments that breaching a promise
in its least consideration by the jurists is a strong
detestable act and the statement on the illegality of
breaching the promise and the obligation of it on
someone that is capable is a valid statement that has valid
proofs. It is proper for the mindful person in this case to
fulfil his promise as much as that is possible, and should
not have the intention of not fulfilling or going back on it,
as not fulfilling one's promise, in its least consideration,
50
He is Shaikh Imām 'Aliyyu bin Muhammad bin Habīb Al-Mawāridī Ash-Shāfi'ī. He was a great author and
judge at Shata. He died in 450H at the year of 86 years. See Siyar A'lam An-Nubulā' Vol. 18 pp. 64 - 68.
51
I-ltimās As-Sa'd pp. 53 - 62.
52
Al-Muntaqa min Makārimil Akhlāq p. 54.

19
drives away courteousness and joins the one that is fond
of it with the class of those whose words are not taken as
bonds and whose pacts are not trusted.

I sought my hope from the strength of your promise,

But then I was like one hoping to have the stars.
Grant me, I did not observe the habit in you,
Or you are not worthy of keeping promises?

And it was said: What stains courteousness is lack of

fulfilment of promise53.

May Allāh assist us.

53
Ibid

20
 Section Three
Stories and Statements from
The Salaf54 on Fulfilment
of Promises

T he righteous Salaf (may Allāh have mercy on them)

were indeed so keen on fulfilling and committed to
whatever promise they made as they were keen on
all the good things in the affairs of their lives. Here is
Muḥammad bin Sīrīn55 (may Allāh have mercy on him)
who was promised by Ibn 'Abdul Rabbih Al-Qaṣṣab, who
said: “I promised Muḥammad bin Sīrīn that I would buy
animal for sacrifice for him but I forgot the promise due to
tight schedules but later remembered. I then went to him
close to the mid-afternoon and found Muḥammad waiting
for me. I greeted him and he raised his head and said
perhaps He would take it as a minor sin from you. I then
said, I was busy. My companions even reproached me for
coming to you and said: he has left and not sat down for the
time. He responded: even if you don't come till sunset, I
would not stand up from my seat except for Ṣalāh or for an
unavoidably purpose.”56 There is no doubt that this deed of

54
This refers to the early predecessors whose lives were spent on righteousness. - Editor
55
His full name is Muhammad bin Sīrīn Al-Ansārī. He was Abū Bikr Al-Basrī. He was a well
trustworthy person, a devoted worshipper of Allāh. He died in 110H. See At-Taqrīb 483.
56
I-ltimās As-Sa'd pp. 70 - 71.

21
his (may Allāh have mercy on him) pointed to his strong
desire for fulfilling his promise and giving excuses to
others for not meeting up or delay.

The Waiting Period

One of the important considerations in this regard is the
waiting period. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Sahkāwī (may Allāh have mercy
on him) said: “Among the scholars are those who
stipulated the waiting period for the other person to
57
arrive. From Al-Ḥasan bin 'Ubaydillāh An-Nakha'ī who
58
said: I said to Ibrāhīm An-Nakha'ī: What if a man
promises another man and he does not show up? He said,
'he should wait for him for a period between his arrival
59
and when the time for Ṣalāh comes.'”

There is no doubt in the fact that what Ibrāhīm An-

Nakha'ī (may Allāh have mercy on him) said is not
obligatory, but could be regarded as part of the
honourable characters specifically known for. Some other
people today specified that it should be from a quarter of
an hour to half an hour. Allāh knows best.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Sakhāwī (May Allāh have mercy on him) said:

60
“The companions of 'Abdullāh bin Mas'ūd (May Allāh be
pleased with him and his father) would say: whenever he -

57
His full name is Al- Ḥasan bin 'Abdillāh bin 'Urwah An-Nakha'ī Al-Kūfī. He died in 139H. See At-
Taqrīb p. 162.
58
His full name is Ibrāhīm bin Yazīd bn Qais An-Nakha'ī. He was Abū 'Imrān Al-Kūfī Al-Faqīh. He was
trustworthy. He died in 95H. See At-Taqrīb 483.
59
Iltimās As-Sa'd p. 7.
60
'Abdullāh bin Mas'ūd bin Ghāfil Al-Hudhalī. Abū 'Abdir Raḥmān was among the early
Companions that accepted Islām. And he was among the oldest companions. 'Umar appointed him
as the head of Kūfah. He died in 22H in Madīnah. See At-Taqrīb 323.

22
Ibn Mas'ūd made any promise and said in shā Allāh, he
61
would not fail to honour it.”
It is the same Ibn Mas'ūd (may Allāh be pleased with him)
who said: “Lie is not proper whether in seriousness or play
and not even when one of you promises his child
62
anything and then refuses to fulfil the promise.”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) said:

Some of them would warn against making a binding
promise. From Farāt bin Sulaymān who said: it was said
that if you are asked, do not make a promise. You should
say: “I hear what you say and if it is destined, it would be.”

Shu'bah said: “There is no time I made an appointment

with Ayyūb As-Sakhtiyānī63 except that he would say
whenever he wanted to depart: 'there is no promise
between you and me.' But whenever I came I would meet
him already there before me.”
64
Similar statement is that of Abū Uwānah: “Raqabah was
promising us in a statement and then said: there is no
promise between you and me that we would now become
sinners for neglecting it. Yet he would still arrive there
65
before us.”

61
Iltimās As-Sa'd p. 74.
62
Ibid p.77.
63
Ayyūb bin Abī Taimiyyah Kiyān As-Sakhtiyānī. He was Abū Bakr Al-Basrī. He was a well trustworthy
proof among the religious jurists. He died in 131H at the age of 65 years old. See Ibid p.117.
64
Raqabah bin Masqalah Al-'Abdī Al-Kūfī. He was Abū Muhammad. He was very trustworthy. He
died in 129H. Ibid p. 210.
65
Iltimās As-Sa'd pp. 90 - 91.

23
 66
'Abdullāh bin 'Amr bin Al-Āṣ (may Allāh be pleased with
him and his father) was about to die and he said: “A man
from Quraysh has sought the hand of my daughter in
marriage and there was likelihood of an agreement
between him and me on this. By Allāh, I would not meet
67
Allāh with a third of hypocrisy. All of you should be my
witness that I have agreed to marry her to him.”68

Malhab bin Ṣufrah would say to his son: “O my son! The

counsels of Allāh's messenger (upon him be Allāh's peace)
are numerous and Abū Bakr Ṣiddiq (may Allāh be pleased
with him) implemented them. So do not begin with
promise, for ignoring it is very easy and its consequences is
69
disastrous.”

66
'Abdullāh bin 'Amrū bin Al- Ās As-Sahmī. He was Abū Muhammad. One of the earliest Muslims.
He died in 63H. See At-Taqrīb 315.
67
He intended here the third character of hypocrites. The Editor.
68
Iltimās As-Sa'd p. 89.
69
Ibid 92.

24
 Section Four
The Importance of Commitment
to Agreement and Avoiding Breaching
it as Found in The Books of Etiquettes

T here exist nice statements in the language of the

Arabs both in poetry and prose explaining the
importance of sincere commitment to agreement
and promise, avoiding breaking it, and encouraging
whoever is accustomed to that act and to be pleased with
this conduct of his. Among these are:

'Abdur Raḥmān bin Absī (may Allāh be pleased with him)

said: Dāwūd (may the peace of Allāh be upon him) says:
“Do not promise your brother something and then refuse
to fulfil that because this would definitely evolve enmity
70
between you and him.”

Amrū bin Al-Ḥārith said: “For many a time I do wish to see

who would promise and fulfil it. I get tired of seeing who
promises, but breaks the promise.” He said: “They would
work but not talk. Indeed they have grown to be talking
and working. Then they would become those who talk
but would not work, and then they would become those
71
who would neither talk nor act.”
70
Al-Muntaqa min Makārimal Akhlāq p. 55.
71
'Uyūnul Akhbār Vol. 3 p. 145.

25
The Arabs would say: “a dry lightning” when it roars but
does not bring rain. So is a man when he promises but
does not fulfil. This saying by the Arabs is used as proverb
to explain the situation of anyone that promises but does
not fulfil.”72

The Arabs would also say: “A noble person fulfils what he

73
promises.”

“Here is a simple tale, rare and treasured, that explains the

criticality of promise with the noble and virtuous. Muā'dh
bin Al-'Alā' said: “A man asked the father of Ibn 'Amrū
something from him and he promised him to do it. But
the thing became a burden on Abū 'Amrū, and the man
met him later and said to him: Father of 'Amrū, you
promised me something and you did not fulfil. Abū 'Amrū
then responded: who should be more in grief than me?
The man said: I, Abū 'Amrū said: No, it should be I. The
man said: why should that be, may Allāh rectify you? He
said because I promised you something with the joy of
promise but I then reneged on my promise while I am in
grief of fulfilment, and you slept all night happily and
joyfully, but I slept all nights sorrowfully in retrospection;
then destiny prevented the realization of wish and then
you met me while I am miserable and dejected but I met
you while you are composed and lively.”

An Arab man describes a people thus: “They are people

well cultured with wisdom, they are wise through
experience, and they are not deceived by the perilous
72
Ibid
73
Ibid Vol. 3 p. 149.

26
safety which has death at its door; procrastination with
which the people cut short their lifespan was removed far
away from them, their mouths uttered the promise and
their limbs readily fulfilled it. Thus they made excellent
their talk and backed it up with actions.”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Sakhāwī (may Allāh have mercy on him) said

while remembering the state of one of the noble men of
the Arab: “Awf bin Nu'mān Shaybānī would say during
Jāhiliyyah: I would rather die thirsty than I should make a
promise and then not fulfil it.” 74

Zuhrī75 said: “It is a duty on him who bears leaves with a

76
promise to bear fruits with action.”

One of the Arab said:

We have tried you and the trial is revealing,may Allāh be
praised,
77
And when your promises are big,violation is same.
78
'Abduṣ Ṣamad bin Al-Faḍl Raqāshī said to Khālid bin
Daysam (An irrigation worker):
O Khālid, the irrigation has indeed treated us unfairly.
And we are deprived of its freshness and livelihood.
We were fascinated by a cloud from you one day,
As its lightning lit up for us but held on its sprinkles.
74
Iltimās As-Sa'd p. 94.
75
Muhamād bn Muslim bin 'Abdillāh bn Abdillāh bn Shihāb Al-Qarshī Az-Zuhrī. He was Abū Bakr, a jurist and
memorizer of the Qur'ān. He was an outstanding personality. He died in 125H. See At-Taqrīb 506.
76
'Uyūnul Akhbār Vol. 3 p. 145.
77
Ibid
78
I could not see his biography except that his father as an Educationist by name Abul Fadl. See 'Uyūnul
Akhbār Vol. 3 p. 145.

27
Neither its clouds clear for the desirous to despair,
79
And nor does its water come to quench its thirst.

An Arab said:
You do promise and to break it is a trait in you,
80
The promises of a trunk, its brother is in Yathrīb.

An Arab has indeed said:

A beauty to behold from a pretty lady in the open space,
Wearing a white top that makes her chest protruding.
Her mouth exposes her teeth when she smiles,
And on her cheek is a light of fire that burns.
But what is better than all these beauties of hers,
Is a young man committing himself to fulfilling his
promises!81

79
'Uyūnul Akhbār Vol. 3 p. 145.
80
At-Tadhkirah Al-Hamduniyyah Vol. 8 p. 163.
81
Al-Muntaqa min Makārimil Akhlāq p. 54.

28
 Section Five
Commitment to
Appointments and Avoidance
Of Breaching them Among
The Contemporary People

A. Shaykh 'Abdul 'Azīz bin Baz (May Allah have

mercy on him)
1. Shaykh bin Bāz was known to be very strictly
committed to time and dedicated to keeping agreed
promise in spite of his being blind and unable to hold
a watch that would alert him of the exact time. But for
his strict commitment to time and promise keeping,
he would know the closeness or the exact time
without anyone reminding him about that. You
would see him when the time for Ṣalāh is due, he
would ask to know from people around him: has the
Adhān for Ṣalāh been called? No sooner had he
asked than he heard the Adhān being called.

In fact in some cases, he would be the one reminding

those responsible for an obligation when the time draws
nearer to fulfil their obligations. This is an indication of his
strong commitment to discharging his obligation at its
time, and that he holds the resolve that it takes to
29
discharge it and that he fears that he is known with the
trait of: “if he promises, he violates it.”

2. It is also known about him (may Allāh have mercy on

him) that since he was appointed to the Judiciary till
his demise, he had spent more than sixty years in
government work without seeking permission to be
out of work for a single day. His concern was greatly
reflected in this statement of his; “if we should stop
working, we would be depriving people of benefits.”

I indeed saw the record of his permission and found it

empty. There is no leave of absence there. And despite
that, he did not see himself having any excuse to be late to
any of his official or non-official functions.

I can recall that some of his engagements are completed

in his office on the blessed day of 'Īdul-Fiṭr, in spite of his
having to receive guests who would come to felicitate
with him and commitments of family and others.

A week before his demise (may Allāh have mercy on him),

I travelled to Ṭāif to greet him. By then the illness had
taken a great toll on him and obviously left signs of
exhaustion on his life – as he was close to ninety years in
age. Upon all that, he composed himself, cheered up and
would not complain to anyone. Even at that he did not
change his routines, or violate his promises or change or
alter the way he relates with or entertains his guests or
listens to their questions, or attends to their requests or
demands for advice. His two phones would not stop
ringing and he would not cease picking this and asking
another (caller) to wait. Those who came for advice were
30
flunked his sides, coming in in twos and going out in twos,
and in their hands were varied documents of messages.
I recalled that among the messages I presented to him
was a letter from a man who was obviously suffering from
a kind of defect that made him saw a larger-than-life
status of himself and that he could reform what men had
corrupted and accused some authorities and individuals.
Despite all that, the Shaykh listened to him until he
completed his chat after which the Shaykh asked Allāh to
heal him. He responded to him very politely and directed
him to search for knowledge.

A message was read to him concerning Qunūt82 for the

fighters in Chechen and instantly he dictated Qunūt
regarding that. And another letter was asking for financial
help for building a mosque, there and then he instructed
a committee to verify the authenticity of the request.

A visitor came from one of the Gulf Arab countries. He

met him and began to ask him concerning the officials,
students and some projects going on over there. It was
like the Shaykh was a specialist in the committee of “Aid
and relief”, “Da'wah” and “Accountability” over there.

During an ongoing activity that we all had forgotten

about time, suddenly you just heard the Shaykh asking his
assistants: What is it by the time now? And he answered
him: twenty-eight past two o'clock. The Shaykh remained
in his position and answered a phone call, then – on the
dot of half past two o'clock – he rose from his seat, put on
his cloak and he bid the people bye and left.
82
A special prayer that is recited during the Prayer either before or after the last Rukū'. - Editor

31
B. His Excellency, Shaykh Muhammed bin Salih
Al-'Uthaymīn (may Allāh have mercy on him)

1. The Shaykh (may Allāh have mercy on him) was strict

to time in his appointments and would not be
apologetic to anyone about that. Instead he would
reproach anyone that breaches his appointment and
make him suffer the consequences of his breaching
the promise. And anytime he had the opportunity to
remind the person of his breaching of promise, he
would do so.

2. He was keen on buying the good watch that tells

time correctly and would hold it always to wherever
he went to. Whenever we disagreed on the correct
time, the criterion for its correctness was Shaykh's
watch. He used to verify its correctness through radio
when the news was being broadcast.

3. I recalled that we had an appointment with him in his

lesson which he was presenting through phone. The
fixed time for the lesson was exactly half past nine
o'clock in the evening. And after he came back from
the mosque, I called him five minutes before the time
considering the poor network during the harmattan,
but as Allah would wish, the line got through easily
and he picked it and said: what time is it now? I said:
five minutes to half past nine o'clock. He said: the
appointment is when? I said: half past nine o'clock.
He said: call after five minutes and he dropped the
receiver.

32
4. I called him late once because of poor network and
he said to me: you are late for thirteen minutes. I said:
Shaykh, the poor network was the cause. And he then
said: thirteen minutes will be deducted from the end
of the lesson and he did as he said.

5. This strictness to time did not however prevent him

from attending to emergency cases but he was strict
with the students of knowledge and wanted to teach
them on the importance of attending to
appointments and promises at the fixed and proper
time. Once, the time for his telephone lesson ended
and I said: Shaykh, this is a questioner from a village
who has a question. He said: okay, no problem, go
ahead and bring the question.

6. He had a lecture he was delivering to the people in

US through phone and gave them the phone number
he was using in Jeddah but they did not call. The
Shaykh waited there and the time went past until we
told him: we did not think they would call again after
this time and he said: it is their time, we have
promised them to free ourselves this time, and it is
their right that we wait till the end of the time. So I
used the time in reading a chapter of my book “Al-
'Adillah Al-Muṭmainnah”83 to Shaykh till the time for
the lesson ended and no one called. So Shaykh stood
up and left.

7. He would not like to breach the appointed time he

had given the students who would come to seek
knowledge from him. He would not give time that
83
This is a published book on women's ḥijāb.

33
 would clash with their appointment no matter the
status of the one seeking for an appointment. He
would give the reason as: these people came before
and we have given them our promise that we are
going to commence the lesson with them at this
particular time, so it is not possible to violate or
breach the promise.

Among the instances that pointed to his keenness on

time and commitment to it is his nice attitude (may Allāh
have mercy on him) that was narrated by a person who
said: “When we arrived the residence, the Shaykh entered
to sleep and asked me to wake him up at half past nine
o'clock to meet a delegation from a Muslim country.
Indeed, the hand of the clock hardly reached quarter past
nine when the delegation arrived. I informed them that
the Shaykh was sleeping but they requested that I should
wake him up by half past nine o'clock. I suggested that
they should wait for another hour to allow the Shaykh to
rest. So they conceded without any objection. The hand
of the clock hardly passed half past nine o'clock by some
seconds when I saw the Shaykh waking up by himself,and
he asked me concerning the delegation. I informed him
they have come and told him what I told them. But on
hearing that, he reproved me saying: may Allāh overlook
your faults, it was upon me to welcome them.”

One of the appropriate moral punishments that Shaykh

Ibn 'Uthaymīn applied as explained by one of his
students, Dr. 'Abdullāh Tayyar, who said: “The Shaykh
(may Allāh have mercy on him) invited me to dinner in the
year 1403 Hijrah, and it was a special invitation for me
34
alone. He (may Allāh have mercy on him) asked: “would
you like anyone to attend with you?” And I responded:
yes, but only the Dean of the college. And the Shaykh
(may Allāh have mercy on him) said: “then, it is okay that
the head of the college of Sharī'ah and the Dean attend.
The Shaykh added: “the arrival time is two o'clock in the
afternoon.” As I told him our routines extend to half past
one o'clock. He said to me: “Be sure you do not come late
for the appointment.” And I responded: God willing. Then
I left my office by quarter past one o'clock and went
straight to the office of the head of the college of Sharī'ah.
I urged him on our going to the Shaykh and not to be late,
but I could see he had many transactions to attend to and
he did not come out of his office until twenty minutes
before two o'clock. Meanwhile, the University was in the
east Buraydah, a distance of which would take us at least
half an hour. We left for our Shaykh's place and got there
ten minutes past two o'clock. It was a shock to us on our
arrival to see the Shaykh already in his car. I alighted and
told him: where are you off to, O Shaykh? And he
responded: “the children are inside; you can have your
dinner with them.” And I said: we have not come just for
dinner. We came to sit with you. By Allāh, if you leave, we
shall not enter. Then the Shaykh smiled and said: “okay, no
problem, but with a condition that you shall not be late
another time.” And I then said: God willing, but the cause is
this and this. Then the Shaykh gave us a practical lesson
on the importance and accurate keeping of
appointments and concern for them.84

84
Al-'Iqduth Thamīn pp. 129 -130.

35
C. The great scholar Ahmad Taymūr Bāshā (may
Allāh have mercy on him)
Ustādh Muḥammad Karad said about him: “Among the
lost virtues in the East except among a few people is the
virtue of keeping to promise and not violating it. The
deceased (Ustādh Aḥmad Taymur Bashā) observed this
virtue to a very high extent, and whenever he made any
promise in a big or small matter, he found in himself a
natural reminder until the promise is fulfilled. Throughout
the long time we were with him on this positive virtue, we
did not see any time that he would fix a meeting and yet
85
you see him around not keeping to the appointment.”

Glimpses of the Stories of the Contemporary

People
The great people of this time have some stories and
happenings regarding this topic based on long and bitter
experiences. Among which are:

1. The erudite, Mahmud Shit Khattab86 (may

Allah have mercy on him) when he said: “I
received an invite. The time fixed for the invitation
was two o'clock afternoon. So I attended at the fixed
time, but surprisingly the host was not available at his
home.

I sat alone at the reception which was an inner room and

the hallway of the house was full of aroma of food and

85
Ḥayātul 'Allāmah Aḥmad Taymūr Bāshā p.70.
86
He was one of the military leaders in Iraq with many important military lessons credited to him, which
have been published in several books. He died in 1421 A.H. May Allāh show mercy on him.

36
women were busy setting the dining table and plates.
I waited for a whole hour and later resolved to leave, but I
was shy of the women who were occupying the pathway I
would take to leave. At half past four o'clock in the
afternoon the host surfaced waving and with him were
some guests.

I sat down at the table with others and the long wait has
already satiated my appetite, then I said to the host: Allāh
indeed praises a prophet in the Qur'ān as He says: “He is
indeed a keeper of promise but why are you as reckless
with appointments as this?

A Shaykh among the guests willingly responded to my

question in defence of the host, he said about him: he is
indeed a keeper of promise and appointment, if he is a
breaker of promise, he would not have arrived his home
and the dinner would not have been extended.

The host was late for a whole two hours and a half for the
appointment and we still find someone trying to justify
his lateness with an embelished excuse. If it were to be an
ordinary person and not Shaykh that was giving
justification for him as he did, the matter would not have
been weighty and surprising, but for the justification to
have come from a Shaykh who inspires and encourages
people on keeping of promise and appointment and who
should be a model in punctuality and keeping of promise
and appointment, but quite unfortunate that he would be
calling to this.

It is obligatory that the true and sincere Muslim should be

a great example and great model in promptly keeping to
37
promise and appointment. This is because constancy in
this is among the characters the Glorious Qur'an enjoins.
Hence, it is a must on the true and sincere Muslim to hold
87
tenaciously to it without deviating from it.”

2. The writer, Ustādh 'Aliyy Tantāwī (may Allāh

have mercy on him) who said: “I once boarded a
plane from Almadha airport in Cairo but the plane
was late for thirty minutes before taking off waiting
for one of the passengers recommended by one of
notable personalities.

But when the entire passengers revolted and cried out,

the plane took off. By Allāh, it did not go for a quarter of
an hour when it returned and landed. We were afraid and
thought something was wrong, but the return was for the
sake of the spoiled friend of the notable. He was late
because he did not like travelling except that he took a
bath and would rest after coming out of the bathroom for
him to dry the water on him so that he would not
experience cold air - I make Allāh as witness upon him-
indeed that day I was returning from an official trip. When
I finally arrived Almaza airport in Damascus, I found more
than two hundred people among whom were the
representative of the Minister of justice waiting in the sun
expecting my arrival for the past one hour .

Cars or buses are like airplanes, shops and stores, cafes

and entertainment centres, they all are now based on
changing and breaking of fixed times and appointments
to the degree that nothing remains on timing again. O the
87
Magazine called “Liwā' Al-Islām p. 16.”

38
readers, inform me - I ask you for Allāh's sake – which
among the classes of people now honour appointments
and desirously, sincerely and faithfully keep to it, and
promptly implement it? Is it the public or private officials?
Is it the Shaykhs? Is it the doctors? Is it the lawyers? Is it
the tailors or shoe makers? Is it the drivers? Who? Inform
me, O the readers.

If you have an appointment with a Shaykh, he would

come to you thirty minutes after the fixed time, and he
would tender excuse that his excuse would have main
text, explanation and footnotes. He would further waste
your time for another thirty minutes in presenting his
long excuse. If his invite is fixed for two o'clock, he would
arrive for three o'clock, and if he is a lecturer, he would not
come but late for his lecture.

The doctor fixes time of appointment for eight o'clock,

but he would not leave his house until ten and you would
arrive to find out that he had given five other patients
appointments at the same time. Upon his arrival, he
would be alone with a visitor engaging him with talk on
political or environmental issues or flimsy discussions.
Leaving the patients to their fate and be expecting relief
from Allāh to the extent that they would be cursing the
time with which they have been waiting at the door of the
doctor and they (would in the long run) leave preferring
to endure the pains from their illness to the pains of
waiting and preferring sudden death to this gradual
death.

As for the tailors and the calligraphers, and the cobblers

39
and the constructors, and the transporters and indeed
the generality of the artisans, I swear that there is no god
but Allāh, they are the most insincere and the ones that lie
most among the creatures of Allāh as they break their
promise most. Lying to them is a religion and breaking of
promise is a habit.

I have always encountered them and they have met me. I

did not sew a shirt or suit, or did I make shoes, or did I
travel in a public transport for a trip, or did I send a
garment to a laundry for ironing, washing or cleaning,
except that they burn my nerves with their actions, and I
roast them with my tongue, even though most of them do
88
not bother even if Al-Ḥutaiat, Jarīr or Di'abel Al-Khuzā'ī
castigate them. Instead, they have mastered the art of
breaking promises and not meeting deadlines and
manipulating people. This attitude, they consider it a skill
and dexterity.

When would that time come when our words shall be

honoured, when we shall promise and be sincere and
faithful, and when our life shall be on mutual admonition
on truth? A day when elected official shall honour what he
has promised after getting to the parliament, when the
public officer would not say to the one who needs a
service that he would do it for him except he is ready to do
it and a service provider when he is capable of doing it?

A day when the public employees would be punctual and

arrive work at the earliest time and leave at the latest end.
88
These are famous poets. Regarding their biographies, you can read them up in the following books: Al- I'lām
Vol. 2 pp. 111, 118 and 339.

40
The doctors would not abandon his work during the
visiting periods, the tailors would not accept or promise
to sew ten garments when he is only capable of doing
nine, and these lies shall be deleted from our dictionaries.
You say to a barber: where is your teacher? He would
respond: he is around and would be here in a jiffy. But in
actual fact, he is at home sleeping and would not be there
until after two good hours.

When shall our life be based on strict, faithful and sincere

adherence to meeting appointments and keeping
promises, when there shall not be persistent delay and
lateness in opening the school all year round, and there
shall not be expectation that the Arab league should
meet but shifted from month to month, and the tragedy
of Palestine shall not be permanent in our history but for
our not being able to set deadlines or not keeping to
them?

Had we set precisely the appointed time for fight, and the
appointed time for truce, and we (I mean the Arab
countries) agree on a time and consensus, we would have
a place on the pages of history as far as the Palestinian
case is concerned instead of what human race will read
about us tomorrow.

Breaching minor promise leads to violating or breaking

the major one, so let us learn a lesson from the past
incident; for in a calamity if we learn a lesson, it would be
blessing. And whenever our conduct is good, and our
flourishing, clean and pure state the Muslims is known for,
and our dirt is washed off from us, we would save
41
Palestine and return our power anew; hence begin the
reformation of character and conducts, for that is the
beginning of the journey.''*89

This is a woman narrating her ordeals, she says:

''Yesterday, my friend promised me ... (in an urgent and
important matter based on how she expressed it) and I
got ready for the important matter, and I was patiently
waiting at home as the minutes were ticking away slowly,
but at last she came after violating the appointment for
close to three hours. When she came, I felt the eagerness
to know the reason and I asked: why are you late?

She responded with all spontaneity and levity: pardon

me, it is not my wish, and she added: and what is really the
90
problem, at least you are waiting for me at home!!!*

89
Ma'an Nās pp. 74 - 75.
90
Majallah “Afaaf” no 51.

42
 Section Six

The Causes of
Breach of Promise

T here is a combination of factors that could lead -

singularly or collectively- to violating of promise or
lack of commitment to fixed appointment and
taking it with levity. Some of these causes are more
dangerous than others. But then all of them are indicating
there is foul in the personality, and it is necessary that one
identifies it. Some of these causes are:

One: Weak Adherence to the Rules of Sharī'ah

This is because an appointment that is fixed based on the
agreement is not proper to be violated or for anyone to
come late, based on the sharī'ah principle, except with a
genuine reason approved by sharī'ah. The prophet (upon
him be peace) regarded breach of promise as one of the
practical features of hypocrisy. Thus, he says: “The signs of
an hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he tells lies, and
when he promises, he does not fulfil, and when he is
91
entrusted, he betrays.”

The most unfortunate aspect of it is that some people –

would feign commitment – when an appointment is
91
This has been previously quoted.

43
mentioned, they would swear that they would attend but,
in their minds, they had decided they would not attend.
This means that they would tell you: We would come for
the appointment but in the real sense of it, they had
decided not to come. What is this, O servant of Allāh, if
not a blatant lie? Can someone who has done that be
acquitted of the charge of lying? Or how on earth can
someone promises to do something that he knows from
the outset that he would not fulfil, but he is perhaps doing
that to absolve himself from the person talking to him
and escape from the blame that might follow his
tendering an excuse.

Two: Lack of awareness that an appointment that

is fixed based on collective agreement is not
expected to be breached without a genuine excuse
In this regard, some people would always have an excuse
to tender because they have the wrong notion that there
is nothing (wrong) in breaching of appointment or not
fulfilling a promise. It is very pertinent to explain to and
alert these people so that they can heal their ignorance
and throw away their excuse. In addition, it would be well
with them if they could read the accounts that we have
mentioned earlier on fulfilling of promise and
impropriety of breach of a fixed appointment.

Three: Indifference
This is a normal feature with some people. We should
know that people with this feature would normally not
bother about many issues and would not attach any
importance to them. Above these issues is the issue of
commitment to promise or appointment. If indifference
44
becomes a permanent feature ingrained in any people,
you would see them bothering not or feeling not
concerned about whether or not they keep to time of
attendance or they do not even attend; or you would see
them not attending at all and yet none of them would
bother to offer excuse or even give a phone call. This set
of people is not reliable and should not be assigned any
prominent responsibility. He is careless and negligent,
and does not have serious and strong training in belief.

Ustādh Maḥmūd Shīt Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh show mercy on

him) said: “Long time ago someone called me and agreed
to see me on a particular day. I waited for long hours
wasting my time and interrupting my work, but he neither
came nor did he offer any excuse for his action. After I
exhausted my patience and became worried, he called on
phone. Perhaps he forgot the appointment or he did not
intend to honour it for a trivial reason, and I said to him:
don't you have a phone, why did you not call? He
answered with all sense of triviality and display of
irresponsibility: Any need for that? Why is it not
92
necessary, I cannot understand?”

Such story as above points to a personality that does not

understand the value of responsibility, but has a degree of
indifference and insensitivity to other people's feelings.

Four: Indifference to Passing away of Minutes and

Hour
This actually is part of the previous reason – indifference –
as you would see a person that does not give any regard
92
Majallah “Liwā' Al-Islām p. 17.”

45
to passing away of minutes or parts of hour. So, for
instance, the appointment is fixed for half past seven
o'clock and he would not see anything wrong in coming
for eight o'clock or the appointment is fixed for quarter
past seven o'clock but he would come at half past seven
or even eight o'clock or later. All these emanate from his
nature of indifference. The surprising thing is that were
this person to have a meeting with a minister or a leader
at a particular time, he would get there thirty minutes or
an hour before the time avoiding lateness and showing
punctuality. This action portrays a lot!

Five: Disregarding the Importance of the Meeting

There are some people that would fail to honour fixed
appointments because they do not attach any
importance to their attendance, or they consider other
activities better than it. This does not give any reason truly
because anyone in this situation should have earlier given
the excuse for his absence so that none would expect his
presence. But some people are shy of giving excuse or
fear their excuse may not be accepted or they have bad
thought concerning the excuse, and for any other reason
that may not be too plausible to be presented for his
cause.

Six: Lack of Consideration for Priority

Some people do fail to honour appointment for some
awful reasons. Among these, by way of examples, are:
a) I came late because I was with my wife in the market.
b) I came late because my wife insisted that I should
take her to her people or friend's place.
c) I came late because I have another appointment. I
46
 cannot fathom the reason why he should give two
appointments at the same or very close time. He
should be the first to know that he would never be
able to keep one of them or would come late, and
this too is as good as not attending it.

d) I came late because some visitors just accosted me as

I was going out or they delayed their stay with me
and would not leave (on time). This is not a reason.
Which one takes priority: welcoming the visitors that
causes going late for an appointment, or giving
excuse to them and attending to the appointment?
Undoubtedly, giving the visitors excuse is more
sensible. Has Allāh (Exalted be He) not said:

“And if it is said to you: Go back, then go back; this is

purer for you...”93

Someone may find proof for his action that if he did not
attend to the visitors well, they would be angry, but I say:
our great Islām teaches us social manners that if we
observe them, we would make progress and be
successful. Observing these social manners is a great
cover, as whoever is angry as a result of observing these
manners, he is the one committing a wrong and
transgression; there is no sense in getting angry in this
situation so that the society is based on good pedestal.

What do you see to attending to a visitor anytime he

93
Sūrah An-Nūr verse 28.

47
arrives without a prior notice or appointment, and he is
not a visitor from outside the country who should
deserve the right of welcome? If you should welcome this
unexpected visitor anytime that he bursts onto others,
how then would you attend to your work?

Imagine that a visitor arrives your house as you are going

out to your official work in the evening, would you neglect
your work for the sake of this visitor? If you do that, is the
owner of the work going to accept this as an excuse from
you? It is possible – as a solution to this problem – to
combine welcoming the visitor and fulfilling an
obligation, and that is by assigning welcoming the visitor
to your elderly son or your brother or any capable close
relative at home. And if you do not find, then you are left
with the option of giving excuse to the visitor so that you
do not delay commitment to an appointment or fulfilling
an obligation.

Ustādh Maḥmūd Shīt Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh show mercy on

him) said: “Among the excuses I heard regarding a person
visiting without prior appointment and the host cannot
excuse himself from attending to him is for the host to be
under pressure to forgo his planned appointment. I have
experienced similar situation that some scholars of high
degree of knowledge, character, rectitude, fame and
social status visited me, but I offered excuse courteously
to the visitors thus: I seek your pardon, I have an
appointment that I cannot be excused from or be allowed
to come late. So I went my way to fulfil the promise and
keep the appointment.”94
94
Majallah “Liwā' Al-Islām p. 17.”

48
And this is our Professor of Literature Ustādh 'Aliyy Aṭ-
Ṭanṭawī (may Allāh show mercy on him) narrating in his
interesting style a number of nice instances and good
stories in this regard: “I would have an appointment that
missing it would mean missing a great deal of goodness;
and it would just remain between me and the
appointment a time that is just enough to put on my dress
and go, that suddenly a visitor who has no business with
me or any benefit from me would just arrive seeking to
spend two or three hours with me to ward off boredom.
Hence, I would be perplexed and in confusion that if I
welcome him, I would be missing my appointment and if I
rejected him, I would be betraying the right of welcoming
the visitor.

I was in a messy situation, so I chose the lesser of the two

evils and I welcomed him and hoped he would
understand my plight. So I quickly made coffee for him so
that he would leave. I sat in front of him in an unstable and
disturbed manner and I made postures to let him
understand and excuse me, but this person would not
look at my side or bother about my appointment; he was
only bothering about himself and his desire to while away
time with this visit.

He then sat comfortably and calmly relating political

happenings to me and asking concerning Russia, Japan,
China and Turkistan, and contradicting his views on the
order that will cover the whole world after the war; he
would not stop as he had lot to pour out, but the heat on
me was severe as if fire was turned over me. He remained
in this state till there was no gain for me any more in going
49
for the appointment and he could not understand what I
have lost, and he left to say about me that I welcomed him
with bad manners and harshness, and that I talked to him
bluntly and grudgingly, and that I did not give him the
right of relating with the visitor.”95

“An anxious woman just came across you in the morning

while you were rushing to your work seeking that you
invite your neighbour by a particular name for her for a
serious matter that could not be delayed. And between
you and her might not be more than fifty meters. So when
you bring the neighbour and endure the burden of this
hardship and delay, you find out that what she wanted to
know from her is about her red dress, who is the tailor that
made it for her or about receiving a singer by name
Khanum or Mrs Mary on which day of the month?!”

A friend who is done with work and has nothing to

imagine loves to spend two hours of his time, so he
checks the list of his friends and does not find anyone but
you and it is in the morning when you are in a hurry to go
to work, eat, put on your dress and attend to issues that
ought to be done before you leave, or an article that
ought to be completed or some other difficult
assignment – I mean marking the students' scripts. It is
while you are in the midst of all these, ringing loudly into
your ears, suddenly there is a knock on the door and it is
your honourable friend that enters and takes his seat
before you. You had better not seat on the chair but on a
burning fire, and you are looking at your time but he

95
Fī Sabīl Al-Iṣlāḥ p.120.

50
would not bother, and this conversation occurred
between you:
“I hope you are fine.”
“May Allāh be praised.”
“By Allāh, the weather is good today.”
“Fine, may Allāh be praised.”
“I heard that the king of Marrakech delivered speech of
the throne, it is a good address.”
“Yes, good address.”
“Have you read the poem of al-Safi al-Najafi describing
the peacock?

You are restless and unstable in your seat, fidgeting, and

just like that he was moved by some flash of kindness and
said to you after an hour and twenty minutes has gone in
this panorama.

“Sorry my brother, I'm not a stranger, you can have your

freedom and do not bother yourself about me; just kindly
give me a book to read while you are busy with your
schedules.”96

“A person that wakes up in the morning thinking every

other person is like him, so he came knocking on my door
at six o'clock and I got up from bed terrified. And it was a
visitor who seemed to be kind to me as he said: 'I do not
want your holiday to end just like that' as if man would go
out of his bed normally and jump to the street; He (may
Allāh protect him) is not aware that he has to do some
chores, washing, eating and dressing up; he is pushing
me to drop all these to sit with him to keep his company,
96
Ma'an Nās pp. 102 - 103.

51
 97
entertain him and listen to his gossip.

e. I came late because my car was not available:

This is surprising because he is simply saying that in the
entire world there is no other means of transport except
his car. Can't he find a taxi or public bus to convey him to
the place of the appointment? What would people living
in the poor regions where there are no means of
transportation do? Such a person might not have had
intention of attending in the first place because of the
unavailability of his car as I have been called once that he
would come late for the appointment, and he said: I have
no car, and I told him: come with a rented car or a taxi. This
was very difficult on him as it showed in his response
thereafter, and I did not know why this is so difficult. Is he
so affluent that it becomes difficult for him to come by
taxi? Or he thinks he had tendered a plausible excuse that
gives him the permission not to attend? Or any other
plausible excuses?

f. I came late because I have another

appointment:
This ought not to be so because no one should involve
himself in an appointment in a way that he would not be
able to fulfil the obligations on himself. It is not proper for
a person to attend to this obligation and leave the other
when he had promised the two, instead he should
promise what he can fulfil in the most satisfying manner.
The Arabs have an old saying: “There are two
circumstances that are not free from lie: too many
appointments and too much excuses.”
g. I came late because of traffic
97
Ibid p.66.

52
This excuse is not acceptable as traffic congestion is a
feature of this modern time. Were everyone to give such
excuse, nothing would be done and appointments would
be messed up.

Ustādh Maḥmūd Shīt Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh show mercy on

him) said: “Among the excuses I hear is the traffic
congestion. It is obligatory on the person who is
determined to keep his appointment or fulfil his promise
to plan based on the transport schedules to have ample
time to get to the place of the appointment.”

h. I came late because of a person I met on the

way:
This an unacceptable reason, for it is compulsory that you
excuse yourself from waiting to talk to him. Those that are
waiting for you deserve more attention than the one that
bumped into you on the way.

This is Shaykh Aṭ-Ṭanṭawī talking with his beautiful and

penetrating approach about one of those who do not
meet up with appointment with people or who break
their promises and waste their time. He says: “The one
that waylays you on your way while you are in hurry to
meet an important appointment, or a lecture in the
university, or court, or a function or a meeting. And he
says to you: Ustādh, Ustādh.
And you turned to him and greeted him cheerfully as if he
were your friend for twenty years and you have been
yearning to meet him. But you stood there motionlessly
for you did not know him and you have not seen his face
before this day.
53
Then he said to you … what is it as if you do not know me?
And you said: yes!
And he said: O Allāh! ……. Ustādh. Think.

After he had successfully wasted your time querying you,

he then began to be serious, and said: I would like to ask
you a question that I need your view on. I married to a
daughter of so-so as you knew and the bride price is…and
he continued his story that took half an hour and made
98
you lose your lecture, court, function and meeting.”

And he said in another place: “I was walking on the way in

a haste to a very important appointment and I have
planned to get there in a few minutes, and a problematic
person appeared before me all of a sudden as if he
emerged from the ground. He extended his hand to have
handshake with me like the shovel of the baker with which
he removes bread from the oven and he began
conversing with me about what I feel neither he nor I
would derive any benefit from. To say the least, it was an
idle talk which he had filled his mind with and he did not
find any better stupid person to fill his ears with to free
himself of it than me.

Or he was calling from a distance of thirty meters:

(Ustādh), I pretended as if I did not hear, but he shouted:
Ustādh Aṭ-Ṭanṭawī, and I could see that not less than
three volunteers among the passers-by helped him call
my attention to his call: Ustādh Ṭanṭawī. But Ustādh Aṭ-
Ṭanṭawī did not have a fire in his head except the smoky
flame on a stick that has a voice and it engages the senses
98
Ma'an Nās p. 104.

54
of hearing, seeing and smell. May Allāh be praised for the
blessing of fame, I stopped to wait for this man who was
calling me as if I am indebted to him and the time was due
for repayment, or I am a runaway criminal and he is a
policeman, or there was good news for me with him that a
relative of mine that I do not know from my ancestors
died and bequeathed ten thousand pounds to me. He got
to me and said: Ustādh, where have you been, I miss you.
How are you?

And what do you think I should do to him? Beat him?

Leave him and go away? But I fear that people would say
that it is not polite, so I was forced to be good and lenient
with him and allowed him to say to me: I miss you, and I
said: I miss you more, and truly both of us are lying.”99

He (may Allāh show mercy on him) said in another

instance: “I was going to school one day, and I had a
lecture that its place was some distance away. So I was
rushing as if I have missed my way and suddenly a big
man accosted me and it looked like he was the principal of
the secondary school I was. I could see he has a high and
respective status in the town. So I moved near him,
greeted him and made him realize that I had a lecture that
its time was due. To this, he responded: good, just a
moment and he began to talk. By Allāh he did not stop
until after half an hour in which he delivered a lecture to
me while I was disturbed and unstable, and my face froze.
In fact, I could feel the heat burning through my veins. So,
when he was done, he said: I guess I disturbed you, please
do not hold us for it!”100
99
Ma'an Nās pp. 65 - 66.

55
Seven: Not taking the proper means of
remembering appointment
Some people would intend to keep appointment which
they are committed to and in no way would they wish to
violate it, but they would not take the means that would
assist them on that, especially when such appointment is
still far away like weeks or months. In this case, it is better
he has a reminder or an organizer that he would be
checking every day to remind him of his appointments or
101
better still, he can get or employ a personal assistant
who will be reminding him of his schedules and
appointments; or he can seek the assistance of others
who are also going to attend the same function with him
to be reminding and notifying him. All of these are
effective means of achieving required commitment to
keeping appointments, particularly for whoever has
problem of forgetfulness.

Eight: Not being firm in dealing with the problem

Many people who are affected by someone else's delay
are often prevented by shyness or respect and honour
from expressing their objection, complaint or
dissatisfaction with this delay. You would see him warmly
welcoming the arrival of someone who has delayed him
and hiding his discontentment and grumble for his delay.
We must know that this is a kind of obstacle in a bid to
finding solution to the problem. The commitment to the
manner of hospitality and good reception should be
accompanied by a kind questioning of the reason for
being late for appointment in a tactful and polite manner.
100
Fī Sabīl Al-Iṣlāḥ p.110.
101
This is referred to as secretary.

56
This should be in the presence of others to discourage
others from emulating the latecomer in this act.

If every Shaykh leading a circle of knowledge, or caller

unto the way of Allāh or a manager of any affair – that
people are called to it and enjoined to attend – is firm and
committed to keeping appointment and expected others
to keep to appointment, and he is known with that
commitment, the invitees would not treat their
attendance with levity or show nonchalant attitude to
appointment or absent from it completely.

Nine: The Environment and the People

The different environment and diverse people could
constitute certain factor in this issue. The Arab
environment and its people – for instance – have some
peculiarities which could have a strong influence on this
issue. Among the characteristics of these people is their
stance of overlooking mistakes and shyness to confront
others on it; and also, is their characteristic of
permissiveness and lack of firmness in dealing with
issues.

The Arab are also known for the character of tolerance,

not seeking rights and pardoning the transgressor. In
addition, they are not known to be well organized,
meticulous in planning and to have long breath. Perhaps
it could be said that the Arab are second to none among
nations of the world when it comes to courtesy and
flattery that never ceases to destroy the fabric of the
nation and lead to social malaise that is known only to
Allāh.
57
To cut it short, other characteristics which are peculiar
with this Ummah are to say the least not too good and
helpful in realizing the desired as far as this particular and
other issues are concerned. These characteristics are
predominant in the sense that majority of the people of
this Ummah fall into what we have mentioned earlier.
Each and every characteristic is a potential hindrance to
keeping and commitment to fixed appointment and
avoidance of lateness and absence.

This could however be connoted to suggest a situation of

submission or giving in to this reality or being satisfied
with it. Far from that, instead, the cancer must be
confronted and treated. But what I just did was to
mention the causes of the malaise, as it would be unfair to
compare ourselves with others who are well ahead and
above in values that are against those negative ones I
have earlier mentioned and for that, they are progressing,
leading and forging ahead in issues we are still battling
with and in tens of other issues that we have not even
thought of, not to even talk about them.

“May Allāh be glorified! The matter has reached the

extent that, for instance, two people would talk about an
appointment between them both in a very absurd
manner as they would ask: is this appointment Arab or
African? And this is because in their own consideration,
any Arab appointment is always fraught with lateness,
indifference and recklessness. In actual fact, breaking of
promise is in contrast to an appointment fixed by the
English or African who are always prompt and timely
when it comes to commitment to fixed appointment and
58
it has become a praiseworthy character for them.

I say the truth: this issue particularly regarding

commitment to appointment, meeting and time is
common among the majority. But if we compare them
with others in this great organization, the opposite is the
case. To the majority of our people, time has no value. It
does not mean anything to anyone of them to come late
for an hour or hours in some cases, or be negligent of or
forget or even pretend to forget the appointment which
often is the case. It is same with him if he honours the
appointment and shows commitment to time, or he
comes late or he is totally absent; he would say to you:
and what does that mean? Has the world ended or the
heavens fallen because of my lateness or absence? He
would be so sincerely and arrogantly unrepentant even to
give an excuse and show remorse for his lateness in the
presence of people at least to assuage their feelings and
pacify their ruffled nerve for this disgusting manner of his
lateness, delay and their commitment to
appointment...”102

Ustādh Maḥmūd Shīt (may Allāh show mercy on him)

says: “It is very rare to see a man in the West or East –
high or low, literate or illiterate, rich or poor, leader or led,
ruler or ruled – that is not disciplined when it comes to
commitment to his appointment and desirous to honour
time. Why would that not be because they are committed
to orderliness while we reel in disorder though Islām is a
religion of orderliness? They are strictly committed to
appointments while we indulge in lateness and delay;
102
Majallah “Al-Bayān” number 40 p. 94, Dhul Ḥijjah 1411 A.H.

59
they keep to time promptly, but we nurture the spirit of
procrastination. But then Islām enjoins strict commitment
to time and promise and forbids lateness, delay and
103
breach of promise.”

There is a nice story that Ustādh 'Aliyy Aṭ-Ṭanṭawī (may

Allāh show mercy on him) narrated to us that could be a
proof to the way the East or West deals with the issue of
appointment. He said: A friend among my colleagues said
to me in the court: yesterday, I heard a huge ringing and
echoing sound behind my office. The voice seemed like
that of a man calling from the depth of a well or shouting
in the bathroom saying: may the peace of Allāh be upon
you. So I raised my head and saw before me the belly of a
man. It looked like the belly of a huge seahorse, but his
head was about half the distance between me and the
ceiling. He extended a hand to me like he was speaking
with me, then he aimed at the biggest chair in the room
trying to force himself into it but he was unable. He stood
for a while and presented his case and that was an invite
to a meeting to resolve issues between two persons
among our brothers. It is not in my habit to accept such an
invite and decide to reject it. But for the fact that I
measured with my eye the length, width, depth and
height of the man, I resolved to give preference to peace,
and I promised him.

He asked, where do we meet? I feared to direct him to a

house that he would enter and I would find it difficult to
get himself out. So, I said to him: here at three o'clock

103
Majallah “Liwā' Al-Islām p.16.”

60
prompt.
He said, okay and turned to go moving like a building
walking.

I came for the appointment and found the courtroom

shut. Indeed I have forgotten I held the key to the door
while people had been waiting for me. Anyone that knew
me, I would explain the story to him and who did not
know me would take me as one of the chief officials of the
lawsuits, and he would say: no one is there, the courtroom
is in depression.” I would dare not respond to him. I stood
there fidgeting from boredom, raising one leg up and
placing the other on the ground, and moving forward and
backward, now and then, looking here and there. I felt I
saw something huge coming from afar that I thought it
was my friend, and it was near. I could see but a camel
carrying wood or a donkey carrying hay, or a merchant
from the tug of war who swelled from the abundance of
wealth which they ate from people's money.

So was the situation until thirty minutes passed away and

I felt like fire was passing through my veins as a result of
my anger for him and myself for being lenient with him
and kind to him. I returned to the house in rude shock and
nervousness, and on the bed, I threw myself!

I had hardly settled for a moment when I heard a shudder

that I thought it was an earthquake or that a bomb had
exploded around us. And behold, it was my huge friend.
The housemaid had opened the door for him as she was
afraid for it seemed she saw an elephant walking on two
legs, so she led him to me without seeking permission
while running back to talk to those in the house about this
61
terrifying horror.
The man gasping from fatigue, like an old locomotive of
the nineteenth century, which still plies Damascus to
Beirut route, and he threw himself on the edge of the bed
that the iron crackled and bent under him. Then he
brought out a handkerchief as if it is an accessory and he
wiped this ball mounted between his shoulders, and said:
how is it, my leader, what are you waiting for and what
happened, still hold the intention? Has the steamer left?
Man can only walk, but cannot have his choice, the one
that is absent has an excuse with him, but the noble would
overlook, and our appointment is that of an Eastern
person.

The friend said while speaking to me: when I heard all

these words, I stopped to ruminate over it. Then I came to
you suggesting that you write about it.

The Eastern man appointment? Is it not strange to refer to

“the eastern man appointment” knowing that it is a false
appointment or promise, and to refer to say “the western
man appointment” knowing fully well that it a true
appointment or promise?

Who taught the West these virtues if not we? From where
did they take these lights by which they illuminate their
civilization? Didn't they take it from us?

From here, the days of the crusaders and from there from
Andalusia after that. Is there any religion in the world
except this religion of ours that assigns time for worships
without which they are not valid and if the worshipper
should delay the time by just a minute, his worship is
62
rendered invalid?
Fasting is enjoined by Sharī'ah for giving strength to the
body and for the rich to experience the pang of hunger so
as to have empathy for the poor and hungry person. All
that is achieved in a fasting of just twelve hours or twelve
hours minus just five minutes. Why is the fast invalid if the
one observing the fast decides to break before sunset by
just five minutes? Allah knows best, but it is to teach him
promptness, exactness and fulfilment of promise and
commitment to appointment.

And why is Ṣalāh invalid if it is observed five minutes

before its due time? Why is Ḥajj invalid if the pilgrim
arrives 'Arafah after the dawn of the day of sacrifice just
by five minutes? Is it not because the pilgrim has violated
the time of appointment to be at 'Arafah?

Has Islām not regarded violating of agreement or fixed

appointment as one of the features of the hypocrite and
made a violator of agreement as one third of being an
hypocrite? Why then after all these do we see Muslims in
the majority among those who are fond of not keeping or
committed to appointment or fulfilment of agreement, or
they are the ones who would not bother if someone
breaks their fixed appointment or delayed their time, to
the extent that commitment to promise or appointment
and desire to strictly keep to it has become a thing that is
rarely talked about among people and they wonder and
are amazed when they see someone that is strictly
committed to time, keeps appointment and fulfils his

63
promise. No doubt today, our promises and appointment
have become haphazard, uncertain and devoid of
exactness or definiteness.104

The statement “Eastern appointment” has become a

connotation, unfortunately, for a promise or
appointment that is not reliable and would not be kept or
fulfilled. And when you enter the East, you would see that
clearly and practically. Never would a ceremony or
function commence at the fixed time and the guests
105
would not arrive except after an hour behind schedule.

Ten: The Psychological, Physical and Social

Problem of the Time Violator
Ustādh Maḥmūd Kurd 'Aliyy (may Allāh show mercy on
him) said: “It may be impossible to keep to time and
appointment in this strange Eastern part of the world.
This is because the people do not know the importance of
timing, so keeping to time is very strange and difficult for
them. The issue of keeping appointment occupies a part
of my time and I feel pained when fixed appointment is
breached. Generally, I overcame it and instilled it in the
minds of the young ones, though with some difficulties. I
taught those who are around me and their leaders, even
though it was difficult in the beginning for them to accept
my rule, which is to always keep to time of appointment or
promise, because of the disorderliness that not keeping
to time creates and the harm therein for them and others;
and by violating time, they confirm that they are

104
Ma'an Nās p. 71 -72.
105
Ma'an Nās p. 49.

64
 106
uncivilized set of people.”

106
Aqwālunā wa af'ālunā pp. 38 - 39.

65
 Section Seven

Consequences of Breach of Promise

And Lack of Commitment
To Appointments

T he issue of breach of promise and appointment is

not what can be waived aside with just the back of
hand. Instead it is a big problem relating to Īmān,
training and social issues that requires looking into its
causes and huge effects it has left on the individuals and
societies. Having talked about the causes in the previous
section, it's now time to discuss the consequences of this
problem. Some of these are:

One: The latecomer or one who does not keep

appointment is treated as unreliable
The situation is dangerous if it spreads among people
that this person is not serious and unreliable, and cannot
be depended on when it comes to commitment to
appointment. The negative effect of this is that people
would ignore this person and not associate with him
when it comes to serious issue, and would not be
considered for great positions. Not only these, he would
be relegated to the side-lines of life, and truly he would
not have any value therein. O my brother and sister! Look
at how the issue of late coming or breach of promise and
66
appointment grows with a person to the extent of being
removed from the circle of the serious work, or put simply,
from the circle of greatness. May Allāh save us from that!
Ustādh Maḥmūd Shīt (may Allāh show mercy on him)
said: “He who is not prompt with appointment or absents
from it or delays its time even by a minute commits a sin.
And he goes against the character of the Qur'ān and
betrays the trust of people in him. He would lose his
friends and would not earn the honour of any people
except people like him. By his action, he wastes the
people's time unnecessarily, disrupts their work and
confuses them. This is because waiting is hotter than fire
as the famous Arab proverb goes. From the viewpoint of
religion, it is a shortcoming. From the moral point of view,
it is a defective character that the believer should never
possess at any point in time. And considering this in the
social point of view, anyone not committed to promise
and appointment engages in what does not honour a
noble man, and would be regarded as a man of little
107
honour…”

Two: Lack of trust in his promise or appointment

This is a common shortcoming because it is widespread
among people not to honour appointed time. When the
appointment is fixed for eight o'clock, there is no
difference in fixing it for nine or ten o'clock.

The worse and most annoying thing is the widespread

statement among people: let's fix appointment for eight
o'clock so that we can begin by nine o'clock. May Allāh be

107
Majallah Liwā Al-Islām p. 17.

67
glorified! What is this? How can people then trust or be
committed to any fixed appointment?

Three: The Serious Ones are discouraged by the

Attitude of the Late Comers or Absentees
If the diligent person sees that the group which used to
be committed to time is now used to delay and late
coming, and if he is not given proper attention, he may
turn away from his commitment to them in future
appointment. He may start giving excuses for his absence
and continuity with the group. So, when the diligent
person withdraws and the weak remain, where is the
hope for growth, progress and success for this work? Is it
reasonable for a diligent person to remain with the
frivolous fools?

Four: Postponing the Success of the Work

If breaching of appointment or coming late to it is
widespread among people, then that would lead to lack
of achievability of the middle and long- term plans which
results into delaying the success of much of work, or delay
in attaining it; and to know, delay is very close to
postponement. And the offshoots of that is lack of
fulfilment of all the plans and objectives their
implementation is desired. In this, no doubt, there will be
huge loss of efforts and waste of deeds.

Five: Missing all or part of the meeting

proceedings
This is when the attendee comes late in a way that leads to
his missing thorough and effective monitoring of the
meeting proceedings due to his lateness and lack of
68
understanding of the points under discourse as
previously explained.

The worst-case scenario is when some people leave

before ending discussion on particular points and taking
definite decision on them. To cite an instance in this
regard:

Ten people gather to discuss an issue, but one of them

comes late after thirty minutes when the discussion has
begun, and another person comes after an hour, while
another person comes after an hour and a half. Then a
person leaves thirty minutes before the end of discussion
and two other follow and leave forty minutes before the
end of discussion.

Thus, it means that only four people attend the meeting

from the beginning to the end out of ten people. Others
are not privileged to attend fully and participate fruitfully
and resourcefully for a good result-oriented discussion;
and that is even based on the consideration that these
four people come to the meeting with full preparation
and are there (at the meeting) fully awake and alive. But if
they are half present in the sense that their minds are
somewhere outside the meeting, then you are free to
imagine the fate of that meeting. And so what is the gain
to be derived by the group?

Therefore, you should know why so many meetings are

fruitless and devoid of effective and beneficial decisions
that necessitate the desired implementation and follow-
up afterwards. Can there be follow-up from someone
69
who is absentminded in the meeting or someone who is
present but leaves before the decision is taken because
he is not there originally, or someone who gets distorted
and incomplete feedback, or someone who does not
have the required emotion to implement the decisions?

70
 Section Eight

The Remedies…

S equel to the explanations of the problems and their

consequences given in the previous pages, I
therefore proffer some remedies to the disease as
follows:

One: Effective Training in Īmān

No doubt, an effective training in Īmān is – by Allāh's leave
– enough to wipe out this social malady completely or
lessen its effects greatly. But the problem still remains
insensitivity to this issue, disregard of the seriousness it
deserves, and partially treating people's problems whose
cases are chronic, or close eyes to the negative effects. If
the young ones are given thorough and effective
treatment right from their early days in Da'wah, dealt with
resolutely as regards this particular issue and enjoined to
attend appointments which are compulsory for them, this
problem would have been nipped in the bud and they
would have been saved from it from their early days.

The rich and opulent societies – including our society –

are negligent and lax in so many affairs of life, among
which is the issue of keeping to time in attending
71
appointments and functions. But what ought to be done
should be done. To adopt courtesy and smooth talk in
treating this issue would bring grave consequences and
damaging effects.

Two: Frankness and Refraining from Evasiveness,

Courtesy and smooth talk
Confronting these people who waste other people's time
and do not bother in the least about it should not require
being polite and courteous. What fits the situation is
frankness and bluntness, and effort to stop the malady
and to let the perpetrator know about it. If we deal with
everyone that takes lateness or absenteeism as hobby in
that way, we would change this situation, and our work
would be fruitful and our efforts would be crowned with
success.

There is nothing that has brought bad situation we are in

now except our apathy to confronting these late comers
and fear of their anger or withdrawal. But in actual fact,
their withdrawal while we protect our orderliness and
commitment to time is better than their being retained
while we lose all that, infect others with the disease and
gleefully leave it to those coming behind to inherit.
108
It has been mentioned in this book that Shaykh Ibn
'Uthaymīn (may Allāh show mercy on him) would not
accept any student coming late for their appointment,
and he would scold whoever failed to meet up with the
time and hold him for his lateness or absence, and

108
See section five

72
whenever the opportunity presented itself, he would
remind him of his action.

Three: Enactment of Appropriate Moral

Punishment for this Act
109
Little wonder then that mundane work frowns upon
lateness and does not take it with levity. Rather it is
110
sanctioned and the perpetrator is fined from his pay,
and in addition, his promotion and bonuses could be
delayed. Then why is it that when it comes to the affairs of
religion, we develop cold feet and fear to punish?

If the Shaykh conducting learning circle, or a director in

charge of a Qur'ān centre or summer class, or director of a
Da'wah camp is not pleased with this and he and those
with him show their resentment to this act, and blame
secretly and publicly those that consistently perpetrate
the act, the situation would change and people would be
committed to appointment and ardent on it.

Among the moral punishment is to begin the lesson

immediately when it is time without waiting for anyone
that will come late. So, when he comes, he would bear the
consequence and taste the griefs of his lateness and
would regret it.

Among the appropriate punishment for instance in

excursions is to move the group to place of excursion

109
This refers to government agencies and private establishments. - The Editor.
110
Some establishments do deduct money from the staff salary at the end of the month for lateness
depending on the internal rules of the establishment as a punitive measure taken to curb lateness. - The
Editor.

73
without waiting for anyone that will come late, and by
that the latecomers would miss the excursion and learn
the appropriate lesson from that.

It is possible to say that these latecomers would have an

excuse. I say that there is always a means to contact
through phone or other channels that whoever has
excuse could get it across, instead of the large group of
people waiting for just one or two persons who do not
value the importance of time and who do not give
consideration to the obligation of commitment to time
fixed for appointment and what is to be done at every
point in time.

Ustādh Muḥammad Kurd 'Aliyy narrated a story to us

about appropriate moral punishment. He says: “It
happened that an Arab Scientific Academic group
wanted to hold a memorial service for the literary giant,
Aḥmad Shawqī, under the auspices of the first president
of the Republic of Syria, Muḥammad 'Aliyy al-'Abid, who
was a friend of the poet in their student days. When the
time fixed for the event was due, the memorial service
began, though the president was yet to arrive. I beckoned
to the person to recite to give his recitation and the
lecturer to deliver his talk in line with the planned
programme of activities. Later after a quarter of an hour,
the president arrived, and I understood that the head of
intelligence claimed on behalf of the president that elders
by convention, usually come to occasions after the
audience is complete. I then said to the president: I
consider your high calibre ought to be emulated in
commitment to time; but the rule that elders should
74
conventionally come late, to say the least, would only
compound our chaotic state of affairs while it is our
resolve to end this chaos.

As I often hear my people being stern in some other

issues, I am always very upset by their tolerance for who
takes commitment to appointment with levity.”111

There is a nice story on moral punishment narrated by the

granddaughter of Shaykh 'Aliyy Aṭ-Ṭanṭawī (may Allah
have mercy on him), Ustādhah 'Abīdah Al-Adhm. She
narrated thus: “Whenever I recall my childhood, trying to
grasp more of what I learnt from my grandfather, I feel
amazed and stunned as I remember how he took
appointment and how much was the worth of a minute in
keeping to time. This was an inherent trait in him that he
paid extra attention and adhered to in his being timely
and concern, neither to miss a second nor to even talk of a
minute, until it became a characteristic that distinguished
his personality. He would be prompt and exact in his
appointments; and it was a rule that my grandfather
would never flout. He was being assisted in keeping his
appointments and other affairs of his generally by a huge,
accurate clock hung prominently in his room and faced
his seat. He would check it from time to time; and he
would be hungry as soon as the clock indicated the time
for his meal, and he would be dozing immediately the
time showed the time for his sleep. But when he intended
to go out, he would get his materials and necessary
papers ready and put them in his bag. Then he would put
111
Al-Mudhakkirāt Vol. 3 p.707.ent, and Allāh is not at all heedless of what you do” Sūrah Al-Baqarah;
Chapter 2 verse 85. - Editor

75
on his attire and sit on the chair at the door holding a
small wristwatch which he would be watching its hands,
eagerly expecting the time for his outing, and having
strong aversion to waiting for the last minutes. Most of
the time I would want to sit with him to talk and listen to
him while he would not bother about talking to me
instead; he would be waiting for the car to take him to
television house to record his program. That was his usual
way in his dealings with people. Whenever he was given
an appointment, he would be ready for it ten minutes
before the appointed time. Then he would sit down
waiting, having been ready for the appointment as if it
was the most important and greatest thing to attend to.

I did see him often whenever he promised a visitor, he

would put on his dress and sit down waiting for him in the
visitor's room. He regarded the visitor's violating the time
of appointment (even for few minutes) as sin that merited
severe punishment. Here I recalled that a man promised
my grandfather a visit once and he gave him a specific
time. So my grandfather prepared for him - as usual -
before the time, putting on his dress and waiting for him.
He would look, look, then look at the time, and you could
see the anxiety clearly on him and distress visibly written
on his countenance. In this state, just after twenty minutes
has gone, there was a knock on the door and it was the
man who arrived. So my grandfather, hiding his anger
opened the door for him and took him to the visitors'
room, but my grandfather returned to sit with my
grandmother and the children for complete twenty
minutes while the man was sitting alone in the visitors'
room without anyone keeping his company, or offering
76
him food or drink. By that my grandfather had taught the
man the lesson in a practical way to let him realize the
harm a man inflicts on others for his not keeping to time
fixed for an appointment. Thereafter, my grandfather
warmly received him, entertained him and did all the
good a host would do in honouring his visitor.

Honouring time of appointments is a usual thing my

grandfather would strive on that people were very
pleased with him and trusted him for. He wrote – in some
of his writings – saying: “You would see some people
today who claim to be Muslims but lie in most of their
talks more; they would violate or break their promise
more easily and betray trust more than you would see in
those who are non-Muslims. This has gotten to the extent
that an appointment is referred to as Eastern
Appointment because it is violated, delayed or not
committed to, but whoever wants commitment to his
appointment or promise, he would regard it as European
appointment or promise.” That call was not only in the
book alone, but it was a way of life my grandfather lived
and committed himself and his households to, and he
then made efforts to spread it among people. Can we
then say that he was extreme in that when we know that
violating a promise is a fourth characteristic of hypocrisy
112
or the third characteristic?
113
Similar stance has been written in this message as done
by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymīn when one of the great scholars
called him late for thirteen minutes after the promise time
112
Article in Majallah “Al-Mujtama”.
113
See section five

77
for commencing a lesson via phone, he said to him: you
are late for thirteen minutes, and the other Shaykh said: it
was phone network, Shaykh. And he said: we shall take
the thirteen minutes from you at the end of the lesson
and he did just that. Delay here is cheating. But Shaykh
was trying to teach his students to be prompt and
disciplined.

Four: Honouring those who are committed to time

in an appropriate moral and material way
This is easily achieved among the young and beginners
when their trainers and coordinators in various sports,
educational, religious and practical areas honour them
publicly for their being ahead of other people and doing
well by arriving at the fixed and agreed time which they all
committed to and accepted.

This act would motivate others and make them emulate

these honoured people and compete in arriving at the
fixed time. I know of a training coordinator in one of the
education offices that adopted this path. He would fix a
time for his students to arrive and when they gather,
whoever comes first and second would be given prizes of
book or any appropriate gift. Thus, this act left a positive
impact on those who received the prizes and others, and
that practically impacted on them to be keeping to time
and committed to fixed appointment.

Five: Commitment of the Leaders to Fixed

Appointment
There is no more effective remedy for this problem as well
as greatest impact than the leader to be a model himself.
78
He should hasten to keep to time and arrive at the agreed
time that would save him from giving any excuse, and this
will take the place of verbal directives. But the big
problem in this issue is that some of the leaders, or better
to say that majority of them, are the ones to violate the
agreed time or absent from fixed appointment. Hence,
you would see strong dissatisfaction and bitter
resentment for what has happened in the eyes of those
present. The lateness of these people would instigate the
beginners and those who are committed to the path of
Da'wah to also be coming late, and take to the wrong
path which these people have taken and the errors they
have fallen into.

O you the teacher of others!

Come on, teach yourself what you teach others.
Begin with yourself, and forbid your soul from her wrong,
If you are successful in that, you are wise.
Do not forbid a thing and then go to do same,
It is a great shame on you if you do that.

Imām Shawkānī (may Allāh show mercy on him) said

while mentioning the state of his Shaykh Al-Khadāī: “He
was diligent in teaching and nothing would prevent him
from doing that. There was a heavy downpour that would
prevent those still in the youthful age from going out, but
this was not an excuse for a high calibre like him because
of his desire for good and benefit for his students. The
downpour continued for some years from just before
dawn to close to noon. There was a lesson he would have
with us at the time of sunrise, so I did not abandon going
to the mosque for my learning because something like
79
that would not be an impediment to him despite his
advanced age; so I waited for him at the appointed place
for the lesson, but he did not come and none of the many
students too. On the second day, he came and said: did
you come here? I said, “yes”. And he said: if I knew you
came, I would not be absent and he was very sorry for the
missed lesson.”114

Six: Beginning on time and desisting from waiting

for latecomers
Among the perfect remedy for the malady is commitment
to begin at the time fixed for the appointment and not to
wait for anyone that would come late. This is an effective
treatment as it would actualize some issues, among which
are:
a) The shameful feeling of the latecomer for his
lateness. This is so because if he enters the place of
meeting and people are busy talking to one another
on issues that are not related to Da'wah, he would
definitely not have the same feeling that grieves him
as compared to when he enters the place and the
people are already going about what they came for.

b) Feeling of the latecomer that the people do not in

any way need him really and that they could do what
they have come for without waiting for his arrival.
This feeling accords him a sense of his deficiency and
inadequacy which can only be withheld from him if
he attends at the appointed time.

c) Those who keep to time would feel that what they

114
Al-Mukhtār Al-Maṣūn Vol. 3 p. 1395.

80
 have come for is important and that the appointment
is honoured. This is so because some people would
feel repulsed and nauseated from waiting for others
continuously for half an hour, an hour or even more,
and if this should become a regular practice, he may
likely abstain from attending afterwards or take to
coming late. He would thus not keep to time again.

Ustādh Muḥammad Kurd 'Aliyy said: “It is normal practice

for the invitees to arrive late beyond the time given by the
host. Some would come late for an hour after the
appointed time, and the owner of the table would not like
to serve his food only to those who are already gathered,
and hence their hunger becomes severe. The host does
not realize that he is forcing those present to wait for
those that come late and by implication, he is despising
those who keep to the appointed time and wasting their
time. Perhaps they even have other appointments or
obligations to attend to. The host would not want to serve
food until all the invitees are present, and perhaps he
would have to task himself by sending his child to remind
and encourage the latecomers to come or he may have to
call them on phone, and in most cases the latecomers
would not seek excuse either verbally or in writing. In view
of this, eating just a meal now necessitates that the
115
invitees should spend hours.”

This is Ustādh Aṭ-Ṭanṭawī narrating to us one of the

stories which is good for us to state herein. He (may Allāh
have mercy on him) said: “I was invited to a feast by a
friend of mine and the time fixed for the feast was one
115
Aqwālunā wa af'ālunā p. 38.

81
o'clock noon. I arrived for the feast before the time and
found the invitees already seated except one person
whom I heard had a high status with the host. We talked
and talked till the time was due for the lunch. So we all
agreed to invite the host to the table, but he did not join
us. Instead he kept us busy with some trivial discussions
while the aroma of the food from the barbecue, fries and
sweet filled our nostrils and reached our empty stomachs
and seemed like fire was burning there; and when the
hunger got me severely, I was forced to ask: have we
forsaken the feast?” He laughed coldly, intended for no
harm anyway. And I then said, my brother, we read in the
ḥadīth that a woman entered the hell as a result of her
treatment of a kitten which she detained. She neither
gave it food nor did she release it to search for the insects
on the ground. We are many and she is one; and she is a
kitten while we are human beings!

Even then he ignored us and busied himself with other

things, and he declared: until that person arrives. I said: if
that person should violate the time for this feast, is it
appropriate then for us to be punished for his offence? Is
our sin being that we did not violate the time? Feasts are
just like ceremonies. It would be written on the invite that
it would start at four o'clock, but it is half past five o'clock
that is actually going to start. All our affairs are conducted
in this manner and style.

Seven: Specifying the Exact Time of

Commencement
This case is important in eradicating this disease, i.e.
disease of lateness to appointment and taking it with
82
levity. This is to specify the exact time for commencement
and conclusion, and to avoid delay so as not to give the
latecomer any excuse. For instance, the time fixed for the
appointment is eight o'clock in the evening, anyone that
arrives fifteen or thirty minutes after eight o'clock would
definitely know he is late and liable to sanction. If he still
has any sense of modesty and responsibility, he would
(positively) stop coming late.

But if it is said that the time of the appointment is after

Maghrib or after 'Ishā' for instance, you already give the
latecomer enough time to come when he likes and tender
excuses. This age we live in does not allow such fixing of
indefinite time, as nearly everything in this age is ruled by
exact time in minutes, or even in seconds in some
instances. Can we not see the device that has been
invented in this age to check accurately in seconds the
time of arrival at and departure from work, and also the
media how they announce their programmes and relay
their news in accurate minutes and seconds, and other
activities showing prevalence of accuracy in timing? So
how can we then think it is proper and valid to fix
appointments without specifying the accurate time in
minutes?

Ustādh 'Aliyy Aṭ-Ṭanṭawī (may Allāh show mercy on him)

said when he was talking about indefinite timing: “Islām
does not know these fluid (inexplicit) appointments:
before Maghrib, between the two Ṣalāh, after Maghrib.
Instead, Islām knows of solid (explicit) appointment in
definite timing: exactness of time of Ṣalāh, and exactness
of time of beginning and breaking of fast.”116
116
Ma'an Nās p. 50.

83
He said in another place: “A man would say to you: the
appointment is in the morning. In the morning? At what
time in the morning, at six o'clock, seven o'clock or at
eight o'clock? You will be confused in which of these
hours you have to expect. The appointment is between
the two Ṣalāh, and the period between two Ṣalāh is more
than two hours. The appointment is after 'Ishā'. Are these
appointments? All these are jokes and plays by people
who do not have work or do not attach value to their time,
or do not bother about their dignity. These are our
timings of our feasts, ceremonies, and meetings, either
117
privately or publicly.”

Eight: Adhering to the Duration of the Meeting

This is an adjunct to the previous point, as it is proper for
whoever attends meeting to adhere to the time of arrival
and leaving. It is recklessness breaching of appointment
for the one who attends a function or meeting not to wait
till the end but leaves not too long after his arrival. The
example of this is for the people living in a locality to
agree to go on excursion to a place for two days. Among
the manifestations of recklessness of breaching of
appointment regarding this excursion is to see some
participants in this excursion arriving and leaving on the
first day, or after some hours the programme begins. Yes,
some people could have genuine excuse which calls for
their leaving, but what is the matter with those who leave
for no reason and what happens to the programme of the
excursion when those that are leaving are many? This, as
observed in excursions, is also witnessed and known in
other kinds of programmes, whether excursions, short or
117
Ibid 73.

84
long meetings or other gatherings.

It is imperative for whoever intends to attend a function

to adhere to the programme planned for such function
from the beginning to the end, and if he is unable for a
reason, he should make this known well in advance before
he attends the meeting and should not bother people
with late information. The person that adopts this
approach is better than the one who leaves during the
meeting giving late and delayed excuse. Therefore, if
many people among the attendees should give late
excuse and leave the meeting, this would lead to clear
disruption of the programmes of the meeting and
instigate other participants to take their exit by giving one
excuse or another.

Nine: Adopting Modern means of Time

Management
There are modern practical studies in time management
established to assist people to be prompt and exact in
organising their time and affairs. Among it are organizers,
apps and time trackers which could assist people well in
solving completely or reducing this problem to a large
extent. These studies are established in a lot of books, for
instance: 'Al-Waqtu: 'Imār aw Dimār' by Ustādh Jāsim Al-
Muṭawa' (may Allāh preserve his life) in two volumes.

Ten: Offering an Excuse before or after (the event)

If an incident beyond the control of a person occurs and
this prevents him from honouring an appointment or
forces him to be late, he ought to get in touch with the
host through any means to offer an excuse for his
impending absence or lateness. And if he is unable, the
85
least he can do is to get in touch to offer an excuse after
the end of the appointment. It is unheard of for a brother
to miss his appointment and thereafter, he does not offer
any excuse as if nothing has happened.

Ustādh Maḥmūd Shīt Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh show mercy on

him) said: “If perchance a Muslim fails to honour an
appointment for a reason beyond his making, the best
thing in this circumstance is to get in touch through
phone with the person concerned informing him he is
going to come late for an hour or more, or seeking to
change the appointment to another time. Many a time I
have an appointment with a person or some persons and
we agreed on a time, I would wait for long hours wasting
my time and suspending my work, and yet the person
would not show up and tender any excuse. And after I
have exhausted my patience and been greatly upset, the
person would now call on phone to say he had forgotten
the appointment or was unable to meet up just for a lame
excuse. But I would tell him: do you not have a phone, why
did you not call to inform me of your reason? And he
would answer without a show of concern or any sense of
responsibility. So, there was no need for that. How could
there be no need for that? Personally, I cannot
understand.”118

Eleven: Commitment to Self-Preparation for the

Appointment
This is a very important point and it means: as it is
imperative for the attendee to adhere to the time of
arrival and leaving, it is equally crucial that he prepares
118
Magazine titled: “Liwā Al-Islām p 17”. I have previously mentioned this story before now. I have only
repeated it because of its relevance here too though with an addendum.

86
himself for the meeting psychologically, mentally and
physically, and equally after the meeting, appropriate and
ample follow-up is important.

There are however some manifestations that should be

avoided as regards this point:

1. Attending a meeting with a confused and

absent mind
He who is present but with a divided and busy mind,
heavily burdened with numerous problems and absent
minded - absent from the meeting in spirit and mind -
cannot be regarded as (one who is) present at the
meeting just because he is there physically. In the real
sense of it, he is somewhere else. This is a fault and a
minus as far as real presence at the meeting is concerned
and to seek leave of absence from the meeting is better
than this, as his presence cannot be distinguished from
his absence.

2. Attending a meeting while dozing off and

fighting sleep
It is strange to see someone who comes to sleep at
meeting, and you would see him in the most part of the
meeting sleeping or fighting sleep. The dozing takes
control of him that he is hardly different from the one who
is asleep. This is a strange character from him as it is a
proof of not taking the meeting and other participants
important. If not, inform me by Allāh whether he would
sleep or doze in the presence of elders or he would
control and put himself together very well? Is it rational
that a man would be busy before the meeting doing
87
some tasks and then come to his fixed meeting or
appointment and be dangling and unconscious? This is a
strange thing!

3. Preoccupation in the meeting with other

matters
This is seen in a person that takes to reading newspaper
119
or book during the meeting, or he is busy writing
something that is clearly and completely not related to
the agenda of the meeting, or busy talking to the person
beside him on an issue not pertaining to the proceedings
of the meeting. All of these point to disrespect to the
meeting and those participating in it. And this also
implies that the person doing these does not properly
prepare himself for the meeting.

4. Lack of preparation for the meeting

This is by ensuring all that will benefit the participants as
well as the objectives (of the meeting) are sought and
achieved. This becomes imperative because any person
that is invited to a meeting of the council of co-operative
Da'wah work – for instance – in his locality to discuss the
issue regarding absence of people from the
congregational Ṣalāh or their weakness in spending to
support the mosque should necessarily attend after he
has prepared himself for discussion of this issue and has
ruminated on the solutions. This connotes that he should
not come with empty mind without any idea such that the
importance of his participation will not be felt and the
effect of his presence becomes inconsequential.
119
Even reciting the noble Qur'ān, claiming that he or she is listening attentively and following the
discussion while truly Allāh has not created two hearts in a single person. - The Editor.

88
All that has been earlier said could lead to abstinence
from meeting completely, as how can one not get fed up
with meeting and its participants when he finds a third of
the attendees, or less or more, in this attitude and he
would wish that he had not attended at all such kind of
unproductive meeting.

And finally, there is a view that it is either a person attends

as appropriate, or he seeks leave of absence, and the
latter is better and more reasonable.

89
 Conclusion

A ll praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the worlds. And

may His peace and blessings be upon our leader,
Muḥammad (the trustworthy apostle),and upon
his households and entire companions.

In the preceding pages are eight sections that I think I

have appropriately and thoroughly talked on this
important issue; rather its significance is high,
acknowledged and appreciated by those who have
suffered its consequences ,tasted and endured the griefs,
pains and resented the shortcomings of most people in it
and not bothering about it.

I hope that you will understand that we cannot reach the

level attained by the people of the West and East in
material progress except we are exact in keeping our
appointments and desist from violating them. This is not
an exaggeration. Instead, anyone that knew and
understood all that I have mentioned in this message and
read within the lines with presence of mind, would accept
the accuracy and reliability of all that I have said and
remove the toga of exaggeration or overstatement from
it.

90
I call on my brothers and sisters, among the intellectuals
and those who are capable of enforcing something on
this matter in addition to what I have mentioned, to
hesitate not to write, offer suggestions and solutions to a
problem I have considered as one of the leading
problems of this age in the Arab world particularly and
many of the countries in the Islamic world.

It is Allāh that knows and judges best.

O Allāh! Shower your peace and blessings upon our

leader, Muḥammad, and upon his households and the
entire companions.

All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the worlds.

91
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93
Notes

94
Notes

95
Notes

96